How much time had passed?

Momo, exhausted and asleep, remained cradled in Narcissus’s arms. Her limbs hung limply outside his embrace, completely drained of strength. Soft, gentle breathing sounds occasionally scattered through the quiet forest.

Along the dense mountain ridge where not even the sound of birds’ wings could be heard, dusk had settled. The deep sunset painted the surroundings in brilliant golden hues.

With the watercolor-like beautiful evening landscape at his back, a man approached Narcissus with soft footsteps. His transparent silver hair fluttered gently in the wind carried by the forest.

“So here you are.”

An emotionless voice fell upon the two people holding each other tightly. Narcissus didn’t bother to look up at the unexpected visitor’s face, as he could easily identify the intruder without raising his head.

“Do you know how long I’ve been searching for you?”

“You were looking for Momo.”

“I’m glad you understand. Hand JeJe over to me. I’ll take her to the Princess.”

“Someone burned beastkin aphrodisiac incense at the altar.”

“I’m aware. The culprit is being searched for—”

“Was it you?”

Ha. Shahan exhaled sharply.

A smile like broken glass fragments spread across his face, which had revealed no emotion until then. When that chilling smile failed to have any effect on Narcissus, he wiped the expression clean and asked in a thoroughly sarcastic voice:

“Why don’t you share your pathetic reasoning behind that accusation?”

Shahan then realized he had become unnecessarily agitated and quietly bit his lip. His body, which always maintained an elegant gait and never ran, was now completely drenched in sweat from frantically searching through the undergrowth.

His fingers stung from being pricked by twigs. The white sleeves that had pushed through the bushes were stained with greenish grass marks. After all that trouble finding JeJe, he never imagined she would be in some man’s arms.

Shahan took a deep breath and quickly composed his distorted expression and heated tone. Now, Narcissus’s arm cradling JeJe’s head to prevent it from falling irritated him immensely.

“Isn’t it common knowledge that only the High Priest can approach the altar flames and light them?”

Narcissus’s calm expression as he retorted, so unlike Shahan’s own state, was equally irritating.

“Good attempt, but unlike other nations, the Eodiphia Empire has two High Priests. That’s why there are two flames at the altar.”

“That doesn’t prove your innocence. Given the circumstances, rather than coming all the way here to find Momo, you should be pursuing the culprit.”

A blank-paper face, devoid of any expression, stared intently at Narcissus. The silver eyes that had been emitting a cold light were, for that moment, completely empty, drained of all emotion.

Shahan slowly opened his mouth.

“Well… equally insolent creatures paired together. Is this what they call birds of a feather? Like attracts like? Ah, yes. What would you do if I were indeed the one who burned the aphrodisiac?”

His lips, cold and waxy, split into a twisted sneer. With an eerie laugh escaping through them, Shahan tilted his head slightly.

“Why? Is it such a grave sin to encourage teenagers experiencing s*xual intercourse for the first time to freely express their desires? They seemed to be thoroughly enjoying their pleasure-soaked time. Like filthy dogs in heat.”

“You must know how dangerous aphrodisiac incense is for young beastkin.”

“Ah, and so? Are you planning to tattle to the Princess about the High Priest? Of course, you’d need someone who would believe you.”

“…”

“Even if I were the culprit, no one would listen to the words of a mere slave from a defeated nation, which is truly unfortunate.”

His rationality was gradually breaking. Unable to contain himself any longer, Shahan approached the two—specifically JeJe, who was in Narcissus’s arms.

Then, as the High Priest who commanded the altar of the twelve gods, he ordered Narcissus:

“I won’t waste more words. Hand over JeJe. Otherwise, you’ll face severe punishment for defying the High Priest’s command and for blasphemy against the twelve gods the empire serves.”

Without further delay, Shahan lifted Momo, who was curled up and sleeping soundly in Narcissus’s arms. His action was nothing short of forceful seizure.

The rough handling drew a shallow moan from Momo’s parted lips. Ignoring this, Shahan hoisted her onto his back and headed toward the High Temple.

* * *

To conclude, Shahan was not the culprit who had burned the aphrodisiac; he too was a victim of the sudden incident during the ceremony. It was a scheme by the Second High Priest, who despised Shahan for his mixed beast blood, but there was no reason to explain this to Narcissus.

He had only spoken that way to clearly establish his position to that insolent boy who constantly stayed by JeJe’s side.

Shahan already knew Narcissus was a war trophy presented to the Princess and had completed his background investigation on him.

At the time, Shahan had been watching JeJe from a distance, noticed the abnormal situation at the altar first, and set out to find her. Since he also had half-animal blood, he couldn’t maintain complete clarity of mind.

His initial plan during the Finale of Courtship was to publicly request JeJe as his partner to show her clearly how much he cherished her. Simultaneously, he had the coercive intention of preventing her from rejecting the High Priest’s proposal in front of everyone.

It irritated him that JeJe, who was kind to everyone, kept her distance specifically from him, and it sparked a stubborn determination. That was all.

He certainly didn’t want to see JeJe crying and suffering from the aphrodisiac incense, much less rubbing her body against another man while in his arms.

Since she feared him intensely, if she were to cry, it should be because of him, and the source of her suffering should also be him. That would make it less unfair somehow.

Shahan thought himself mad.

Barely controlling his distorted breathing, he laid JeJe on his bed. Her feather-light body was wrapped in the fluffy silk blanket.

In about an hour, the effects of the aphrodisiac would gradually subside.

One hour.

Shahan looked down at JeJe with lifeless eyes.

Her pure white outer garment had fallen below her shoulders, caught at her elbows. Soft flesh was clearly visible between the fallen shoulder straps.

If he woke her now, the aftereffects would still linger.

Would you, who fear me without reason, reject me even while intoxicated by the ritual incense?

Shahan’s shoulders rose slightly.

Hmm, hmm… A dry laugh resembling a sigh filled the room.

Shahan drew the curtains and firmly locked the door.

* * *

Shahan bathed and applied fine perfumed oil to his clean body.

Then, to clearly feel JeJe’s touch reaching out to him, he draped a translucent thin garment over his shoulders.

He woke JeJe with a sweet voice filled with strange anticipation and excitement.

“JeJe.”

He planned to deny her his body even if she tried to embrace him. He would make her yearn intensely before allowing contact.

Also, no matter how much JeJe twisted her legs and begged tearfully, he wouldn’t touch her chest.

If she crawled on all fours at his feet, he might consider it once.

Shahan shook JeJe awake again, this time with more urgent gestures.

He had no intention of forcibly stripping and taking someone unwilling, so the remaining hour was all he had.

The thought of having an intimate physical conversation with JeJe during that time made his fingertips tremble with eerie anticipation.

An hour was woefully insufficient for him, but establishing their relationship today would make the second time much easier.

Shahan lifted JeJe’s body and embraced her, without a shred of doubt about what would follow, happily anticipating the next moments.

“Mmm, hnn…”

Finally, she lifted her drowsy eyelids. Between them, her narrowly opened pupils were still unfocused, just as Shahan had expected.

“High Priest?”

“Yes, JeJe.”

JeJe smiled slightly, revealing her pretty teeth.

Shahan stared intently at her face, forgetting even to breathe. Enchanted, he took one step forward.

Very naturally, he stroked her shoulder and pulled down the remaining dress strap.

JeJe’s body flinched. Her smiling eyebrows instantly stiffened and furrowed.

“High Priest, why are you doing this…”

JeJe spoke haltingly in a voice still heavily intoxicated. Her hand, which had been floating in the air, barely grasped the strap of her dress and fumbled to pull it back up.

Realizing his hand had been rejected, Shahan’s expression gradually hardened.

Clearly, unlike usual, she didn’t run away or avoid his gaze when she saw Shahan. She even smiled shyly.

But that was it.

She didn’t avoid him, but she didn’t approach him either.

Her nose, red from crying, and her eyes, heated with excitement, remained the same. Her twitching waist and fidgeting toes still pushed against the bed sheets, yearning for something.

But that was all.

Shahan completely forgot his arrogant pledge not to touch JeJe first and thrust his hand forward.

When his fingertips touched her soft flesh, he gripped her shoulders tightly with both hands.

“Sha-Shahan.”

Her intoxicated voice expressed rejection. Still, Shahan didn’t release her shoulders.

Instead, he applied even more pressure, gripping the shoulders under his palms with crushing force.

“Your body is trembling like this.”

Weak resistance continued.

Let go of me. Don’t touch my body, High Priest. JeJe struggled.

“Why don’t you act like you’re in heat in front of me? JeJe. If you want a reward…”

“I’m scared. I’m scared of you, High Priest…”

“…”

Shahan blinked slowly.

Lowering his gaze, he saw the delicate shoulders trembling. Despite being sensitively responsive to his touch whenever he applied pressure with each finger, she was curled up in fear.

He threw JeJe, who was still twisting in his grasp, onto the bed and stood up.

“Yes, I’ve always wondered about that too. Why do you fear me? Tell me.”