Clang!

“…Ugh!”

“Ah!”

Lionel, who had crushed Ariel’s n*pple with his palm while lowering his body due to the impact on the barrier, stifled a groan and whispered softly.

“I’ll say it again. If the virgin they’re targeting disappears, the monsters will also disappear.”

“……”

Ariel hesitated once more. Lionel sighed.

“…You want it too, don’t you?”

“On what basis… Ah!”

His hand, still resting on her chest, squeezed the soft flesh. Despite her slim frame, the supple flesh bulged between Lionel’s fingers. The strange pressure made Ariel’s shoulders tremble.

“You’re lying here.”

“Ugh!”

“As if asking to be sucked.”

Lionel said, staring at her n*pple. Ariel’s expression went blank for a moment.

‘Did I hear that right?’

She never expected such words from someone who was always so noble and devout.

‘Maybe I misheard?’

In that brief moment of her confusion, Lionel twisted her n*pple that had peeked out along with the flesh.

“W-wait… Ah!”

Lionel’s eyes deepened as he heard her small cry. Watching the pressed flesh, he bit his lip slightly in frustration. Seeing this, Ariel’s face turned as red as though it were on fire.

‘I’ve never seen Lionel make that face before.’

The most reliable weapon of the Holy Kingdom’s cathedral, praised by all artists and priests of the Holy City. The favored child of God, blessed not only with holy power but with everything else, the brilliant diamond of the Holy Kingdom.

“I promise, I won’t hurt you.”

“……”

“Just tell me to put it in.”

When Lionel Frenderick whispered these unbelievable words in a seductive voice with eyes full of heat, and when Ariel realized the impact on the holy barrier once again, she opened her mouth in shock.

“…I’ll do it.”

“What?”

“I’ll just go out and die. You survive and return safely, Lionel.”

Ariel said this and tried to stand up quickly.

“Ariel!”

Lionel urgently grabbed her. She ended up almost falling into his arms. With her eyes tightly shut, Ariel whispered.

“I’ll just close my eyes and go out…”

“Is it so terrible to do this with me?”

“……”

Unable to find the words, Ariel closed her eyes and shut her mouth. Lionel, uncharacteristically, looked shocked. Ariel, who couldn’t see this, cursed the current situation repeatedly.

‘Is this really the only way!’

She knew the value of life. She didn’t want to walk into the monsters and be torn apart alive.

She planned to return, quit being a saintess candidate, go abroad, get a government position, and start a family. But still, she was resisting because…

Ariel barely opened her eyes. Looking up, she saw Lionel gazing at her with a darkened face, his eyes filled with a strange resentment.

“…Is mixing bodies with me really worse than death?”

“……”

“Why?”

Why, indeed. If she had to point out a reason…

“You liked me.”

“……”

“You liked me so much that you did those things.”

‘That’s the biggest problem.’

Ariel wanted to ask in return. Are you okay with doing it with me? Shouldn’t you be the one who doesn’t want to do it, no matter what?

‘Because.’

Lionel Frenderick was Ariel Tenia’s long-standing dark history. A dark history she should have already moved past.

So, how did it happen?

【 Ariel’s Circumstances 】

Even in the Holy Kingdom of Robel, there were prestigious families and nobles. The high-ranking nobles of Robel were those who had long supported the Holy Emperor, producing numerous priests, holy knights, and saintesses that sustained the Holy Kingdom.

As for Ariel’s Tenia family.

‘A mediocre, decent family.’

That was the perception the seven-year-old Ariel had of her family and herself. Though they were a marquis family, they weren’t as powerful as they used to be.

Born into nobility by luck, she thought it was enough to live a moderate life and marry into a suitable family. She didn’t feel the need to strive for anything more, thinking it enough to follow the customs, support the priests, and remain a noble family contributing to the Holy Kingdom.

…Until the day she attended a small social gathering and met the sons and daughters of other families.

At that gathering, Lionel Frenderick shattered her world and entered her life like a charging bull.

“Greet them, Ariel. This is Duke Frenderick and his sons.”

In truth, Ariel had already heard of the names Frenderick and Lionel. Their names were renowned.

Their name was that famous…

Unlike Ariel’s mediocre family, the Frenderick ducal family was one of the most prestigious in the Holy Kingdom of Robel.

Frenderick was so influential that most couldn’t even hope to associate with them. They were known for their immense holy power and the overwhelming wealth that came with it. They funded promising businesses and were sought after by foreign royalty.

Born into such a family, with inherited holy power and stunning looks, were the Frenderick brothers, the eldest Rayen Frenderick and the second son Lionel Frenderick.

‘Both the eldest and the second son have high holy power. They are remarkable, Duke Frenderick.’

‘It’s truly an honor, Your Holiness.’

‘The eldest will inherit the family… so the second son will become a priest or a holy knight?’

‘Yes. Lionel seems inclined towards becoming a holy knight.’

‘With such exceptional qualities… he’ll become an outstanding holy knight.’

Recognizing Lionel’s immense holy power early on, the Holy Emperor even arranged for him to enter the Holy Academy at a young age.

Although Duke Frenderick politely declined, stating that Lionel would attend when he was older, the story spread throughout the Holy Kingdom. It was said that a remarkable talent had emerged, perhaps even greater than his already distinguished brother.

Even then, Lionel had another virtue.

‘Oh my. Lord Lionel never does anything carelessly.’

‘And he’s so composed.’

‘You’d think he’d be arrogant, but he’s not.’

‘His brother is also very polite and well-mannered.’

‘The brothers are like twin jewels.’

Despite receiving such praise, Lionel never acted out or became arrogant. He was so mature that when boys his age gathered, the ladies couldn’t help but praise him.

‘Look at him. He’s so well-behaved in gatherings like this.’

‘He reminds me of my eldest.’

‘Oh, isn’t your eldest a student at the academy?’

‘Exactly. He seems more mature than his age.’

The young noble ladies, who were gathered like chicks, felt the same.

‘Why is Lena crying?’

‘That bastard Dave… I mean, Lord Dave pulled her hair and she fell.’

‘Why did he do that?’

‘Maybe because Lena didn’t pay attention to him. Lena is a baron’s daughter.’

Even noble boys, who were well-educated, could be mischievous and a bully to the girls. This behavior, combined with their noble upbringing, sometimes led to bad outcomes.

‘Come to think of it, Lord Roden stole Flora’s ribbon and ran away.’

‘…Why do the boys do that?’

‘They’re just kids.’

‘But we’re kids too…’

‘Compared to them, look at Lionel.’

Lionel, like his brother, always stood quietly in the corner, reading a book or offering a handkerchief to bullied girls.

Among the unruly boys, this made him extremely attractive to the young ladies. Heads of families with daughters whispered when they saw Lionel.

‘He aims to be a holy knight. Unlike priests, they can marry.’

‘We should establish a connection now, and later, we can propose a marriage with his brother, who will become a duke.’

A gem among gems. The best groom within the next 20 years. The sword and shield that would shine upon the Holy Emperor, the diamond of the Holy Kingdom.

That was the common term for Lionel Frenderick.

Thus, he was already one of the most outstanding young men, targeted by his peers and older and younger ladies alike. The number of young ladies following him would require ten large carriages.

Ariel was no exception. She had long admired the boy who seemed to be made of sparkling silver thread. From that moment, at her first small social gathering, she had been struck and frozen, like a vampire monster caught in moonlight.

The boy, calmly drinking tea among others, looked like an angel.

The natural halo around his hair brushed past Ariel like a gentle breeze. Several tickling feathers brushed between her chest, revealing her heart, which she hadn’t even known was there.

Her heart, previously covered in the dust of indifference, began to beat passionately as soon as it was revealed. Ariel, not knowing how to describe her feelings at that time, stood frozen for a while… then, as if receiving a revelation, she blurted out.