Chapter 1.2

“Bless the Earl!”

As soon as they stepped into the immaculate apartment, kept spotless by the maid who came during the day, Dania threw her arms into the air and flopped onto the sofa. Having resolved to drink enough to forget her failure and pass out on this very sofa, she had achieved her goal.

Rubbing her cheek against the soft velvet, Dania mumbled.

“Thank you, Earl… Thank you for giving Luel this apartment… Sniff, but… does someone as stupid as me deserve such luxury? Sob…”

“…”

Luel’s cold gaze swept over Dania.

At least she wasn’t throwing up, he thought, trying to find some consolation.

He carefully removed her robe, bag, and shoes, setting them neatly aside. Just in case, he propped a cushion behind her back so she could sit up halfway.

Ever since they had shared a bottle of whiskey from the Earl of Marchento’s collection at the age of sixteen, their drinking sessions always ended this way: Dania, who rarely drank, would down her drinks in an attempt to forget her sorrows, and Luel would take care of the mess left by “Dania the Disaster” Lancaster.

Who among the noble students at the academy would ever guess that the studious, soft-spoken theology student had such a wild side?

Naturally, only he knew.

The thought brought a faint smile to his lips. Nostalgia for their carefree childhood days at the Marchento estate washed over him as he brushed aside the honey-colored bangs that had fallen over Dania’s forehead. Her emerald-green eyes, visible behind her round glasses, began to fill with irritation.

“Hey.”

“Yeah?”

“Hands off.”

“…”

“You’re annoying.”

Ha. 

Luel’s lips curled into a crooked smile.

“You’re laughing? Huh, you’re laughing?”

Dania’s pale forehead wrinkled in a frown. For reasons unknown, she launched into a tirade, her words firing off like a machine gun.

“Do you think the world is funny? Huh? Life must be easy for you, right? Is it because you’re the Earl’s son? Is having money all it takes? Who do you think you are to act like you’re taking care of me? Do you do this for other girls too? Is that why the young ladies are always chasing after you? Who do you even think you are, huh?”

“…”

A brief chuckle escaped Luel’s lips. Her rant was baseless, endless, and devoid of courtesy, yet he found it amusing.

“Go on, say more.”

“Womanizer. You’re all smiles whenever girls flock to you.”

“What, should I scowl and chase them away when they approach me?”

“Who do you even think you are?”

“What?”

“I’m asking what’s so special about you that all these young ladies swarm around you.”

At her petulant outburst, Luel chuckled. His lips curved into a slow, handsome smirk, and for a moment, Dania stared at him, mesmerized.

…Despite her words, there was something undeniably special about him.

His tall stature, broad shoulders, and surprisingly lean physique—despite his indulgent lifestyle—made him the envy of many. His silhouette was so striking that even art students at the academy reportedly wanted to recruit him as a n*de model for their croquis classes.

His soft pink curls, reminiscent of cherry blossoms on a sunny spring day, and his deep blue eyes, like the ocean’s depths, gave him a gentle and kind appearance, contrasting with his strong build. His chiseled jawline, high nose bridge, and delicate features were the epitome of classic beauty.

Add to that the prestige of being the heir to the illustrious Marchento family, owners of fertile estates in the southern regions of the continent, and it was no wonder that young ladies couldn’t help but dream of a future with him.

In reality, Luel was one of the most popular men at the academy. Female students of all social standings constantly flocked to him, yet he never granted special attention to anyone. Instead, he scattered his kindness broadly, earning the admiration of many women. While he never spoke about his private life, even Dania, who had no friends, had heard rumors about his supposed complicated romantic entanglements.

Despite this, Luel Marchento’s personality was so flawless that no one envied him. Instead, they were desperate to get closer to him.

However, such things couldn’t be a measure of judgment for a childhood friend.

“…What a joke.” 

Dania muttered, her lips still pouting in defiance. Luel’s lips curved into a sly grin at her stubbornness.

Rather than flaunting his charm, which Dania always ignored, he decided to lighten the mood. His well-shaped eyes formed a gentle curve as he spoke.

“Sweetheart, there are secrets you don’t know about.”

“Secrets? Even George’s dog Yally would laugh at that.”

George was the gardener at the Marchento manor, and Yally was his dog. The implication was that even a dog would find Luel’s words laughable.

“There are secret, grown-up things that neither Yally nor you know about.”

“Oh, please.”

Though she scoffed, Dania couldn’t help but feel a twinge of surprise.

Secret, grown-up things.

Both she and Luel were now 21 years old, legally adults. But when it came to “secret” matters, it was a different story. Rumors about the scandalous debauchery at the parties attended by the noble students Luel associated with were far too infamous.

Luel himself had even warned her to stay away from such people and their gatherings.

〈Dani, just hearing about it will rot your ears. So if they talk to you, you must say no, refuse, and never accept their invitations. Got it?〉

If there was one thing Luel knew that Dania didn’t, it was this: the nature of intimate relationships between men and women.

Dania gulped. If the conversation veered in that direction, she would have nothing to contribute.

The Holy Church didn’t impose celibacy on its priests. While chastity and abstinence were encouraged as virtues, having s*xual experience didn’t disqualify someone from priesthood. In fact, many priests, including Dania’s father and grandfather, had families of their own.

However, it was widely known that during the final stage of becoming a priest—the Priest Qualification Examination—the personality evaluation placed significant weight on a chaste lifestyle and a pure heart. The density of the light emitted during the baptism by the High Priest was said to vary depending on these factors.

Since entering the academy, Dania had been fixated on excelling in the personality evaluation. Knowing she would barely scrape by in the graduation exams, she aimed to compensate with her personality score. This naturally led her to obsessively suppress any interest in the opposite s*x.

Thus, whenever the topic of relationships came up, she would always shy away.

“Are you good at it?”

“What?”

If Luel had overlooked one thing, it was that today’s Dania wasn’t just Dania Lancaster—she was Dania “Disaster” Lancaster.

“Are you so good at it that everyone chases after you because of it?”

Luel froze momentarily, caught off guard by Dania’s unexpected retort.

He had thought silencing her with a clever remark would be an easy win, but today, her “disaster” energy was stronger than usual.

“Why aren’t you answering?”

“…”

“See? It’s obvious. You’re probably the one chasing after women, but everyone’s too blind to realize it. They mistake it for the girls clinging to you.”

Though he knew her words were baseless nonsense, Luel felt a sudden surge of annoyance.

“What do you know about it?”

“That you’re not skilled enough to captivate those elegant young ladies.”

“What?”

“That you’re not some irresistibly charming man.”

“…”

Luel was dumbfounded. Where on earth had this clueless, innocent girl picked up such ideas?

His exasperation took an unexpected turn.

“How would you know if I’m good or not?”

“Anyone could tell just by looking. Why wouldn’t I know?”

“What do you even know to say something like that?”

“At the very least, I know you’re not good at it.”

“Ha.”

Despite enduring all of Dania’s provocations and antics throughout the evening, Luel’s composure cracked in an instant. His thick eyebrows drew closer together, forming a crease in his otherwise smooth forehead.

What he said next was something even he hadn’t anticipated moments earlier.

“…Want me to show you?”

“What?”

“Do you want me to show you whether I’m good or not?”

Dania flinched—not because of the words themselves, but because of the unfamiliar expression on Luel’s face. It was an expression she hadn’t seen in nearly 20 years of knowing him—somewhat fierce, angry, yet serious.

Still, her drunken state was a problem. Though she had sobered up slightly, the remaining alcohol in her system emboldened her recklessness.

“Fine! Show me, then!”

She understood that what Luel was offering to “show” was his prowess in certain matters, but she didn’t care. She also sensed that this was the highest level of intimacy in relationships—something she had spent years obsessively avoiding—but it didn’t matter.

Forget the Priest Qualification Examination. She was about to fail her graduation exams anyway. What use was a personality score?

Who cared if she indulged in lust? The Holy Spirit wouldn’t even get a chance to judge her!

Once again, it must be emphasized: today’s Dania was Dania “Disaster” Lancaster.

Perhaps that’s why she failed to notice the gravity in Luel’s voice as he added, almost as if challenging her.

“No regrets, right?”

“Regrets? Why would I?”

“Alright. Watch closely.”

A dark, intense flame flickered in Luel’s ocean-blue eyes as he stared directly at her.

“Let’s see if this is really just ‘that kind of thing.’”