Side Story 3: The Case of Edwin Andersen (2)

As he was still speaking, the bedroom door suddenly swung open. Through the gap in the door, Alicia peeked in with a bright smile on her face.

“I missed you so much I just couldn’t wait any longer. I baked some scones for you…”

Her face flushed bright red when she saw Edwin’s disheveled state. Edwin hurriedly pulled up his scattered cassock, shaking his head in embarrassment.

“…This isn’t what it looks like.”

Edwin’s aroused body strained eagerly toward its master, standing at attention.

Alicia, staring blankly at the scene, slowly took a step back.

“It seems I interrupted you. Please, enjoy your time.”

“Wait.”

Edwin hurriedly grabbed her wrist and locked the bedroom door. A strange tension lingered in the closed room.

He quickly pulled up his pants, wiping his damp palm on a handkerchief. When he glanced back, he saw Alicia, her face flushed, gently touching her nun’s habit.

“…I’ll make sure to wash it and return it to you.”

“And where did you get my clothes, anyway?”

“I went to Archelio Monastery earlier today.”

“…Really? If you’d told me ahead of time, I would have made time to go with you.”

“I couldn’t be sure I’d only hear good things, so I went alone.”

Though they had both laid down their clerical vows, they were once priest and nun—well aware theirs was a relationship that might not be welcomed, and so he couldn’t go openly.

“So that’s what you were thinking about, all by yourself.”

When Alicia gently caressed Edwin’s cheek, his face flushed red like a lovesick boy.

His heart thudded so loud he worried she might hear it. Trying to steady himself, he nudged her away, changing the subject.

“Father Daniel packed up the things I’d left behind at the monastery. Before I put them away, I wanted to try on the cassock one last time.”

“I see. I’m glad to see you in it again. May I touch it for a moment?”

“…If that’s what you want, you can do as you like.”

Like a well-trained beast, Edwin obediently offered himself up. Her fingers traced the pristine cassock, slow and lingering.

Edwin bit his lip, trying to rein in the heat building inside him. She was simply indulging in nostalgia, but he found himself slipping into impure thoughts, and loathed himself for it.

“It reminds me of when we first met. I never could have imagined, back then, that things would turn out like this…”

“You even remember our first meeting?”

“Of course. I remember thinking your sharp, narrowed eyes made you look just like a wildcat.”

Her cheerful laughter tickled Edwin’s ears.

“I apologize. That was a busy season for me, and I must’ve been on edge.”

“I didn’t bring it up for an apology. To be honest, I even liked that cold side of you.”

Alicia was every bit as shy as Edwin. For her to say something so bashful and affectionate was almost unthinkable.

Edwin took a deep breath and looked away. She tilted her head, following his gaze.

“Would you call it love at first sight?”

“…I’m not used to words like that, so I’m not sure how to respond.”

“That’s a dull answer. Then when did you start noticing me?”

It was a difficult question. Edwin, always so stoic, had taken quite a while to recognize his own feelings.

“I’m not sure exactly when. But…”

“But?”

“It’s true that, from the very first moment, you were always on my mind.”

If he had to put a name to it, Alicia had always been an “unsettling person” for Edwin. No matter how hard he tried not to notice her, she’d always linger at the edge of his vision, and every word out of her mouth somehow managed to upend his composure.

“Then since I liked you first, that means I win, doesn’t it?”

Edwin was nearly overwhelmed by her unexpectedly bold affection. He pressed his fingers hard into his thigh, struggling to keep hold of his reason.

“Are you feeling unwell, Father?”

“…How long do you plan on calling me that?”

“Mm, even if I try not to, it’s such a habit now. I’ll try to fix it, slowly.”

“…You’re going to be the death of me.”

Every time that title slipped from her lips, a sinful thrill ran through Edwin. The beast he kept hidden beneath his skin clamored to sink its teeth into the forbidden fruit right this instant.

“If you’re trying to get a rise out of me, you’d best stop now.”

With that short warning, Edwin gently took her left hand. Then he pressed his lips to the slender finger adorned with her engagement ring.

As his lips brushed over her pale, chapped skin, a shiver ran down his spine. Yet it wasn’t nearly enough to satisfy the hunger gnawing inside him.

He bared his teeth slightly and gave her finger a careful nibble. When her shoulder flinched, he followed with a slow lick of his tongue along her finger.

“Ah…”

Her quiet, trembling breaths only drove Edwin’s desire deeper.

“I can’t wait until our wedding night.”

The patience he’d so carefully built crumbled all at once. When she stepped back, Edwin lowered his gaze, his voice a lazy whisper.

“You’re the one who dragged me down from the altar, stripped away my cassock, and turned me into this l＊st-crazed animal.”

“That’s…”

“So take responsibility and tame me.”

Edwin pressed her down onto the bed, her fluttering dress spreading over the sheets.

As she frantically tried to pull down the fabric bunched around her hips, Edwin’s large hand covered hers.

“Show me where to put it, and how you want it.”

“Hh—!”

His lips touched the bare skin of her thigh. He sucked hungrily at her delicate flesh, making the muscles of her inner thigh tremble in response.

Simply tracing her skin with his tongue and sucking her deep into his mouth wasn’t enough. He nipped her gently with his teeth.

“Ah…!”

The sound of her sweet, ragged breathing right by his ear sent Edwin’s excitement soaring. Gasping harshly, he bared his teeth and bit down on her thigh.

“Uhn—!”

A vivid red bite mark blossomed on her pure skin. Gazing at the flushed petals blooming under his teeth, Edwin’s body shuddered with a surge of inexplicable satisfaction.

He continued his intense marking, trailing over her skin until, finally, he discovered the forbidden fruit hidden deep between her thighs.

Gulp.

Just looking at it, covered only by the thin layer of her underwear, made his mouth water. He could barely think, consumed by memories of how sweet, how intoxicatingly delicious she was.

“Ah, Father—!”

Edwin pushed her underwear aside to the right and pressed his lips to her without hesitation. Inhaling the humid heat, he savored the wicked pleasure washing over him.

“Hah, mm—!”

The soft, damp texture of her folds against his lips sent a jolt through his lower body. He slipped out his tongue and tasted the dewy flesh, gently stroking the raised nub until her hips jerked up in response.

“Ah—uhn…!”

He circled her swollen nub with the tip of his tongue, relentless and precise, making it ever more sensitive. Each time he teased her, the secret entrance fluttered, quivering with anticipation.

The scene before his eyes was so obscene it made his head spin. Unable to hold back, Edwin brought a finger to her entrance, slowly tracing the slick rim.

“Hah…!”

Her drenched walls twitched and pulsed, greedily sucking in the tip of his finger. The tight, hungry grip around him was exquisite. He began to move his finger inside her, slow and deliberate.

Wet, lewd sounds filled the air as her soft inner walls clung to his finger, squeezing tighter with every motion. He eased into a steady rhythm, gently twisting his finger to stretch the narrow passage wider.

“Hah, mnh, Father…!”

He’d meant to savor the f*replay, to take his time, but whenever he touched her like this, Edwin lost all composure, reduced to a restless adolescent. His body only ached to thrust his aching length inside her, to pound into her like an animal and pour himself deep within.

That fierce desire to claim her—such a raw, possessive urge—was utterly foreign to Edwin, who’d spent half his life devoted to theology. To crave her with such animal hunger, to want to debase himself with her… He hardly recognized himself.

“Ah, mnh…!”

“You’re… so beautiful.”

He had no idea when he first started feeling such depraved longing. Maybe, from the moment he first laid eyes on her, he’d always dreamed of falling with her—body and soul—into this sweet ruin.

“Ha… uhn.”

“Alicia…”

The skin of a pure clergyman crumbled, and his steadfast convictions shattered. Only after being completely broken did Edwin finally find his own salvation.

“Uhn, ngh…”

“How can something be so… intoxicating…”

He reached out, peeling away the disheveled dress. Even the thin chemise covering her secret skin was pulled away, leaving her completely bare, not a single thread to hide her.

“Will you undress me yourself?”

Panting, hands trembling, Alicia unfastened the buttons of his cassock. After waiting so long, Edwin finally returned to his true self and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.

Just the touch of her lips made something deep in his heart tingle. He slipped his tongue between her parted lips, tasting the soft inside of her mouth.

For a moment, he ravaged her with hungry kisses, then suddenly pulled away. His breath trailed over her collarbone, then up to her rising chest.

“Haa…!”

He softly caressed her bare skin, teasing her hardened n*pples with the tip of his tongue. He circled each one slowly, and as the pleasure soared, her hips twisted and a desperate moan spilled from her lips.

He carefully sucked her n*pple as his fingers traced downward. Down her inner thighs, he slowly ran his hand over the ripened fruit, soaked with obscene nectar.

“Haah, mm…”

He gently parted the soft folds and slipped his fingers inside her slick inner walls. His mouth suckled her n*pple while his fingers stirred her from within.

“Uhn, Edwin…”

At the sound of her faint voice in his ear, Edwin lifted his head. The title she always used was gone—she was calling his name, just his name.

“That’s enough… Please, don’t put in any more…”

Entranced, Edwin gazed down at her and pressed his hips closer. He brought his swollen, aching member to her slick, parted flesh.

“Mmh…!”

“Haah…”

Maybe it was impatience, but he couldn’t push in all at once. Even with paradise right in front of him, there was an ache of yearning that made him sigh in frustration.

Gripping her waist firmly, Edwin lifted his hips. Finally, he pressed his throbbing shaft to her drenched entrance and pushed it inside, spreading her wide.

“Aah, hng…!”

“Fuu…”

His hot length scraped along her inner walls, filling her up until he was buried to the very root. Within that dizzying, ecstatic pressure, he thrust in all the way, not leaving a single inch outside.

Edwin’s fingers traced the spot where they were joined, gently running along the folds that squeezed so tightly around his thick shaft, brushing ever so lightly over the swollen nub.

“Hah…!”

“Nngh…!”

The fierce contractions made Edwin’s brow furrow. If he teased her any more, he felt like he might pour all his thick desire inside her right then.

“I’ll move slowly.”

Looking down at her tear-bright eyes gazing up at him, he moved his hips with careful, steady motions. On the surface he pretended to be patient, but inside he was fighting the urge to lose control, to give in to the violent desire twisting inside him and pound her without restraint.

“Edwin, do whatever you want.”

“You’ll regret it, I’m sure.”

“It’s all right. Even if it hurts…”

At her sweet request, a faint smile crept over Edwin’s lips. He slipped his arms beneath her slender waist and lifted her up, pulling her atop him.

Thrust.

The moment their bodies joined, the sound of flesh rubbing together echoed as her eyelids flew wide open. With trembling hands, she pressed against her lower abdomen.

“Ah…”

She’d thought he was already buried as deep as he could go, that there was no way he could reach any further. But the dizzying sensation of him plunging even deeper inside made her breath catch.

“W-wait…”

Before she could even protest, Edwin’s strong hips began to move.

Schlick.

His burning shaft raked fiercely along her spasming inner walls.

“Hngh!”

A sensation that blurred pain and pleasure overtook her body. Instinctively, her slender waist twisted in an attempt to escape, but Edwin’s hands pressed her down.

Alicia’s face twisted with despair. There was nowhere left to retreat.

“Ahh, nngh, nn—ngh, nngh!”

“Haa…”

Each time his rigid length thrust up from below, flashes of white danced before her eyes. With every relentless stroke, slick juices spilled from her stretched, trembling flesh.

Thwack, thwack, thwack.

With the relentless, pounding movements, Alicia’s head lolled backward. She couldn’t breathe. It felt like her lungs were going to burst.

“Ha, haa, haa, ugh!”

“Kh….”

Tears welled up in her eyes from the extreme pleasure bordering on fear. As the violent thrusts continued, droplets of tears scattered through the air.

It felt like the inside of her hole was melting. Melting and dissolving until it was nothing but liquid, until it all flowed out and soaked everything.

“Ugh, ugh, mm, ah, ahh!”

When Edwin released her waist, her trembling body slumped forward like a sheet of paper.

With both arms, Edwin pulled her entire body into his embrace and slammed his hips upward.

Thwack, thwack, thwack, thwack, thwack, thwack.

He stroked her flushed cheeks as she gasped for breath, then kissed her fiercely. His tongue tangled roughly with hers, plunging deep into her throat.

With each thrust driving into her, Alicia’s consciousness faded far, far away.

“Mm, mm, mm!”

Deep inside, the pillar driven to her very core swelled as if it might burst. A tingling ecstasy crept up her spine from her tailbone. As he rocked her secret flesh with loving friction, he poured his heat inside her.

***

‘Maybe someone really did hear my desperate wish—‘after all that waiting, Edwin finally got to meet God.

[Where am I……]

After drinking the lye, Edwin had lost consciousness in a hellish agony, as if his entire body were being burned alive.

When he opened his eyes again, he was lying on an endless, sprawling plain. It wasn’t hard for Edwin to realize that this was the afterlife.

[So my heart really did stop.]

He’d been prepared for this. He’d sworn that he would give up his life for her, no matter what. But in the end, all that resolve felt meaningless—he was left with nothing but emptiness and regret.

He wished he could have said goodbye, told her how much he truly loved her, promised that if there was another life, he would find her again. Even just a single promise would have been enough.

As he was lost in these belated regrets, Edwin’s eyes went wide. Out on the endless plain, a golden-haired woman was dancing, wild and free.

[Licia!]

He sprang to his feet and ran to her, pulling her into his arms and holding her tight.

[Don’t you have any regrets, Father?]

“Edwin’s eyes reddened at the sound of Alicia’s voice echoing in his ears.

[You suffered and died, branded by a shameful lie because of me. Don’t you resent me for it?]

[I neither regret nor resent you.]

[You’ve made the faithful doubt, driven nails into your family’s hearts, tarnished your house’s honor—are you truly fine with all of that?]

[To give my life for you, I can’t tell you how happy it makes me.]

To be able to sacrifice himself for the one he loved—he saw it as a blessing granted by God.

[Then what is it you want as a reward, Father?]

[A reward…?]

[There’s no such thing as kindness without price, or sacrifice that expects nothing in return in this world.]

[I swear I’ve never once wished for anything in return. I only ever—]

He wanted to blame God for casting his beloved into misery, and he didn’t want to see her submit to such a cruel fate.

[That’s a lie.]

She cut him off firmly. Her hair whipped in the wind. Worried she might simply blow away like a seed, Edwin held her waist tightly.

[Please, just tell me what you truly want. If God recognizes your devotion, He might even grant you a reward.]

When the pure white cassock is taken off, there’s nothing to distinguish his bare skin from that of any other man. Edwin, too, was just a man with desires.

If he were to name what he truly wanted, he could have recited every forbidden longing he kept buried deep in his heart. After a long hesitation, as if finally coming to a decision, he spoke.

[Licia, I just want you to be happy.]

She didn’t answer for a long moment, perhaps taken aback by his reply. Edwin watched her back, nervous and restless.

[You’re the first of My creations to ever ask for another’s happiness as a reward.]

Her head slowly turned. Edwin, his face blank with awe, knelt at her feet. She looked exactly like Alicia, but he realized at once who stood before him.

[O God…]

The goddess’s slender fingers gently settled on Edwin’s cheek. At her touch, tears welled in his eyes like a newborn cradled in the arms of creation.

[But before that, you must be punished for breaking your vow, mustn’t you?]

The goddess gazed quietly at Edwin as tears streamed endlessly down his cheeks, and her lips slowly curved upward.

[With a priest’s body, you must not harbor wrongful desires, nor take a woman’s body as your own.]

Edwin’s heart plummeted.

It was a verse from scripture he’d silently repeated to himself countless times. Overcome by guilt, he bowed his head in defeat.

He knew all too well—the body of a priest who lay with a woman and committed such a sin would become the very wick to burn in hellfire.

[……I’ll accept my punishment.]

Edwin pressed his hands together and bared his pale nape to the heavens. As he waited for judgment, a gentle warmth settled over the backs of his hands.

[Lift your head, my son.]

Edwin’s head was gently raised. Slowly, he looked around at the faces holding his hands tight.

Sister Sarah, lost in the carriage accident; an elderly nun in a worn habit whose name he didn’t know; and a woman whose face was the very image of Alicia…

All of them were clasping Edwin’s hands, praying for mercy from the divine.

[You’ve gathered quite the faithful allies, I see.]

A fresh smile spread across the goddess’s lips. Then, raising her palm, she blew softly. Carried by the scattering seeds, Edwin’s body floated up into the air.

When he came to, he was back on the grand duke’s bed.

“Turns out the one with the faithful allies wasn’t me—it was you, wasn’t it?”

Edwin gazed down at his sleeping lover, eyes filled with happiness. Then, before the bathwater cooled, he hurried to wash her body.