She had never imagined that the High Priest had also wanted to leave this temple. Well, he had not shown even a glimpse of himself all this time and had not engaged in deep exchanges with the faithful. But since he had been quietly carrying out his duties, she had only thought him to be a man of few words who was reserved, not that he would veer off in such an unexpected direction.

As Layla stood there blankly in the face of a completely unpredictable situation, the High Priest, who had drawn near before she knew it, took her hand. She had thought it would be as ice-cold as his personal scent suggested, but it was unexpectedly very warm.

“Well then, shall we go and play at a sacred marriage ceremony? There’s no taking it back now. Regrettably.”

The High Priest took her hand and walked forward without hesitation, so she naturally assumed they were returning to the temple. She thought he would help her leave Mount Aurelia after performing even a simple marriage ceremony. But the place they arrived at was an unfamiliar house.

She had never imagined there would be a dwelling so close to the temple. As Layla only stared at the house in bewilderment, the High Priest swept his gaze over her indifferently. And then, as if it were his own home, he opened the door without hesitation and stepped inside. He looked steadily at Layla, who was dawdling and not following right away. Come on, take a step. Under the wordless pressure, Layla’s feet moved of their own accord and she stepped inside the house.

The High Priest had clearly said that through marriage, one could leave Mount Aurelia and the temple. In that case, who had her friends married? If the High Priest had not married them, did that mean they had married the priests of this temple?

She had been told that the High Priest’s permission was needed to leave the village of Diligachi and the temple, so she had not known that the other priests also had special authority and abilities. Or perhaps he had arranged for her friends to leave the village without marrying the High Priest. She could not make heads or tails of how things were unfolding, and it was nothing but confusion. As Layla stood there only fidgeting with her fingertips, he spoke.

“Shall you wash up first? Or shall I go first?”

“W, wash up? Wh, what do you mean by that…”

“Since we are married, the wedding night is naturally a procedure we must go through as well. It is something important to me, so Layla will need to give her consent. It will become something important to Layla too, in time.”

She had never once thought that marriage would also come with a wedding night. She had been ignorant and naive, having absolutely no information about such matters. All the more so because it had nothing to do with her. She stood there at a loss, her lips moving wordlessly, then changed her thinking.

She had been acting as though she was simply using the High Priest in order to survive. And yet she was the one who had promised to do anything, and the moment she was out of danger, she was already scheming about what more she could gain. From the moment of marriage, the High Priest was her husband. She had gained one thing, so it made sense to give in return what he desired.

“I will wash up first.”

The High Priest indicated the direction of the bathroom with a tilt of his chin, and Layla took a step forward with a long breath. It was a mistake to hesitate before closing the door and glance over at him. Heat rose to her cheeks at his gaze, which looked as though it would swallow her whole. His gaze clung persistently even through the narrowing gap of the slowly closing door. Her eyes, cheeks, and lips, where his ash-grey eyes had touched, all burned as if scorched. Layla absently touched the flushed, burning spots. Even with the bathroom door closed, she still felt his gaze. She barely gathered her wits and undressed one piece at a time.

Even after she disappeared into the bathroom, Devin kept his gaze fixed on the spot, leaning at an angle against the wall. As Layla’s soft breath and the fresh, grassy scent like summer rain settled one by one into this place where only his own traces had remained, a strange feeling came over him. True to her nature as a holy Saint, Layla’s soul was purer and cleaner than anyone else’s. She was the very crystallization of innocence, untouched by the evils of the world. She was the one among the twenty Saints who possessed the most noble soul.

When he was with such a pure being, a reaction of an entirely different current flowed out of him. An uncontrollable desire to possess her completely poured forth, and he wanted to ensure that no one else’s gaze could ever reach her. Pure Layla must be feeling the same thirst as himself. Since she was his companion, it was only natural that she responded to him and him alone.

Soon, the sound of rushing water poured through. At that sound, Devin’s throat bobbed up and down in a large movement.

“Ha…”

He had only heard the sound of water, yet absurdly, his entire body stirred as if he had stolen a glimpse of her n*ked body. At this unfamiliar feeling, he had never experienced before, he tensed his lower abdomen. He did not even realize he was staring at the bathroom door without taking his eyes off it for a single moment. Tap tap, tap tap, he knocked his fingers against the wall and then realized he was nervous. He let out a short, incredulous laugh at himself.

How long had he been like that? The firmly closed door opened softly, and she walked out with her body covered by a towel. There was a bathrobe, but since it was the High Priest’s, she seemed reluctant to use it freely. A laugh slipped out at the sight of her pulling the bottom of the towel down, worried that something below might show.

She had been tense, and his sudden laugh seemed to startle her. Her eyes, wide and round, and her tightly pressed lips were endearing. Devin stepped forward without hesitation and stood before her. His ash-grey eyes slowly swept down her body, a languid, devouring trail that felt like the drag of a tongue.

He noticed the droplets of water beaded on her thighs and rubbed them away as if erasing the traces. With a smooth stroke, his hot hand grazed her thigh and wiped away the moisture, and the startled Layla let go of the towel that had been covering her body.

“Oh.”

“Why are you startled? We haven’t even started yet.”

Devin caught the towel as it fell to the floor and used it to wipe away the remaining traces of moisture on her body. Without taking his eyes off her, he dried the soft inner flesh of her thighs with the towel. Layla trembled at the unfamiliar sensation.

Devin slipped his fingers through the towel and traced along her thighs. Her soft thigh flesh was rubbed repeatedly by Devin’s long fingers. Each time, she did not know what to do with herself. She seemed unaware that her pure, raw reactions were the very thing stimulating him.

Each time her body was taken in one by one by his burning ash-grey eyes, Layla curled her fingertips in embarrassment. She had not imagined she would be left bare without a single thread on her in this way. Each time his shameless hands touched her thighs, she felt the heat in the air rising.

As she was at a loss in the suffocating tension, surprisingly, he gently lifted her into his arms and took a step. She was so startled she threw her arms around his neck. She had never been held by anyone before, and being suddenly lifted into the air made her feel as though she might fall at any moment.

As their bodies pressed together, the scent of cool winter rain from him reached her slightly more strongly. It seemed a fresh, grassy scent like summer rain drifted from her as well. Could the High Priest also smell this scent? At that moment, the High Priest, who had been walking, looked steadily at Layla. Feeling as though her thoughts had been read, she looked away in embarrassment.

He sat Layla down on the large bed and then knelt. Startled to see the high-ranking High Priest on his knees, she tried to spring up, and he opened his mouth.

“Servant of the god, I wish to marry in defiance of the god’s laws, so grant me your permission. I enter into a marriage vow with my companion, Layla Bella.”

Whether you permit it or not. At the rough words he added, Layla’s shoulders flinched. In that instant, fog began to creep up and wrapped itself around Layla’s body. At the fog that appeared out of nowhere, Layla’s face went white. She truly had never imagined she would see fog inside a room, of all places, not even in the mountains.

“You seem startled.”

The High Priest waved his hand, and the fog that had been growing in volume vanished without a trace. As if to soothe her surprise, he gently pressed his lips to her forehead in a kiss. His ticklish, innocent gesture was unfamiliar, but it calmed her unsettled heart.