Innocence, Corruption - CHAPTER 2 - Drenched in Lust Every Night - (Part 2)
CHAPTER 2 – Drenched in Lust Every Night – (Part 2)
“I see you’ve come on an errand from Priest Tyrion.”
A low voice came from behind them, echoing through the corridor.
As if on cue, the three people stopped simultaneously. The entire hallway seemed to fill with an overwhelming sense of presence, even though the voice’s owner was nowhere in sight.
“Sir Edelgard.”
The two men on either side of her turned and saluted with a respectful gesture.
Lillian turned her body as slowly as possible. The wide corridor felt narrower as a man half a head taller than Jeremy and Felix appear.
Lost in thought, Lillian bowed her head deeply. She fervently prayed not to encounter him again…
The incident where she had blackmailed him just a fortnight ago flashed back into her mind, leaving her feeling embarrassed and disgraced.
“Isn’t it the time for sword training now? Why are you all here?”
The sharp gaze fixed on the two men.
“Is this the training ground?”
Although he didn’t raise his voice, the impact was tremendous. In the stern atmosphere, Lillian felt as if she were being scolded.
“We will leave immediately!”
In truth, for the past few days, Cedric’s mood had noticeably worsened. Jeremy, who noticed this, quickly turned and left the scene.
Only Felix, who was carrying Lilian’s baggage, remained. A penetrating gaze, as sharp as a knife, directly confronted him.
“And you?”
In response to Cedric’s question of why he wasn’t leaving quickly yet, Felix awkwardly explained,
“Well, Lilian was carrying a heavy load, so I was helping her with it…”
For a moment, Cedric’s thick eyebrows subtly raised.
A brief silence lingered. Felix hastily presented the bag he had been holding.
“It’s true, Sir Edelgard.”
Cedric’s eyes, a deep shade of blue-green like tourmaline, focused on the bag. The bag wouldn’t close properly due to how tightly the scrolls had been packed inside.
“To ignore someone in distress and pretend not to see, that contradicts the principles of a knight…”
“Give it to me. I’m on my way to the bishop.”
Cedric snatched the bag from his grasp. Felix, left empty-handed in an awkward state, saluted with a bewildered face.
“W-well… I’ll return to the training grounds now.”
Offering a proper salute to his superior, Felix also greeted Lillian before turning away.
“See you at the victory ball, Lillian.”
At that moment, Cedric’s voice, sharpened like a finely crafted blade, stopped Felix in his tracks.
“Is the priestess your friend?”
Naturally, Felix and Lillian’s gazes met in midair.
‘Friend… Yes, that’s right.’
There were many people in the Knights of the Silver Cross who spoke to her, not just Felix. This had been the case on the battlefield as well, and senior officials, including Cedric, were well aware of it.
Why would it become an issue now when everyone had tolerated it for so long?
“Lilian and I…”
“If the Archbishop heard about it, he would not only protest but also take action.”
Cedric, intercepting the backhanded remark, ordered sternly.
“Change your tone. And the way you address.”
“….I will correct myself.”
Unjust as it may be, one must unquestionably obey the orders of superiors.
Besides, the special circumstances of wartime applied. But the war was over, and this was the capital. As Cedric had said, it was appropriate to change titles in public places.
“I apologize, Priestess Lillian.”
As Felix, looking quite intimidated, spoke these words, Cedric corrected the title once again.
“Viscountess Primrose.”
“…Yes, Viscountess Lillian Primrose. Well, you two may continue your conversation. I’ll take my leave.”
With that, Felix disappeared, leaving only Lillian and Cedric in the hall.
An uncomfortable silence pierced through her body like thorns.
If she could, Lillian wanted to turn into a mouse, shatter the marble beneath her, and disappear into the dark earth.
Cedric’s slow gaze swept over her from head to toe as she stood silently sweating.
“You seem unharmed.”
“…Pardon?”
“I thought you might have broken something or suffered a serious injury. You were so out of sight.”
A smirk played on the man’s lips as he spoke words of relief. Lillian was taken aback by his unfamiliar twisted smile.
“Where have you been all this time?”
Approaching her like a predatory beast, Cedric lowered his body beside her.
“It’s been a while… Do you have nothing to say to me?”
Lillian belatedly lowered her head and nervously fiddled with her fingers. She had prepared a rehearsed line in case she ran into Cedric.
‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.’
But at that moment, she couldn’t bring herself to open her lips, feeling shameless.
“When engaging in a conversation…”
A large hand gently lifted her chin.
“Raise your head. You need to look into the other person’s eyes.”
“…….”
“Don’t you know?”
Cedric’s calm eyes darkened as they met Lillian’s gaze.
Lillian bit her lip, feeling her face flush. An exhilarating electric current coursed through her body, starting at her chin where his hand had touched and rising to her head.
It was as if they were no longer in the hall of the Cathedral in broad daylight, but in his barrack tent in the dead of night, just the two of them
This…… was a dangerous signal. She had to be careful; who knew what nonsense might escape her lips.
[Mom?]
Marianne’s cute face briefly flashed in her mind. Lillian quickly shook her head.
‘No! I can’t afford any more disgrace!’
She remembered Cedric’s icy glare as he reprimanded her.
Escape. Just run away from the capital and disappear. Once her divine power was proven, she could go anywhere, join a mercenary group, a kingdom—anywhere!!
“Where are you going now?”
Seeing her taking a step back unintentionally, his elegant eyebrows crinkled into an impatient line.
“Don’t tell me… you’re not heading Sir Felix Perry, are you? Did you make the same proposal to him?”
For some reason, he felt like a venomous snake. Lillian stammered in response to his unfamiliar demeanor.
“Oh, no, I, I never did…….”
Just then, a voice came to her rescue.
Just as she was struggling with the awkward situation, a voice came to her rescue.