If both Xenon and Iska were being nice to her because of the relic, perhaps Noah might be too. Rudis hesitantly asked.

“No. What I desire, no one can grant. Nor do I want it anymore.”

His voice was so cold and resolute that Rudis shrank back a little.

“Oh, I thought that was why you were being kind to me…”

When Rudis trailed off with an awkward smile, Noah blushed, seemingly flustered.

“W-what are you talking about? When have I ever been kind to you?”

It was the first time Rudis had seen Noah stammer. She barely managed to hold back laughter that threatened to burst forth and spoke sincerely.

“Thank you. For everything.”

Though he had been prickly, Noah had listened to Rudis better than anyone else. Despite some uncomfortable aspects, he had indeed protected and sheltered her. Moreover, he was still helping with her treatment and providing explanations, awkward as it might be. That was enough.

“J-just finish cleaning. I have preparations to make, so don’t come looking for me.”

Noah exploded in anger and disappeared, swishing his long robe behind him. His ears were bright red, and he moved with a strange, mechanical stiffness, like something inside him had broken.

* * *

After finishing her cleaning, Rudis was dozing on a long bench in the pristine white temple. The autumn sunlight filtering through behind her was warm and gentle. Each time the wind passed between the pillars, her hair fluttered softly. The scene, harmonizing with the temple’s tranquility, resembled a painting.

But that peace didn’t last long.

“What?”

Rudis opened her eyes with a start at the sudden voice. Perhaps because she had been drowsy, she didn’t understand what she’d just heard. As she tilted her head in confusion, Noah took a short breath and firmly repeated himself.

“I said I need your vaginal fluid.”

Noah’s voice was resolute.

Rudis mulled over his words with a blank expression.

“Why on earth…?”

“For your treatment.”

Noah answered with a brief sigh, his tone sharper than usual.

“You’ve wasted all the medicine I carefully prepared by letting it drip out. Now that I’m out of supplies, you’ll need to provide the ingredients yourself.”

Noah scolded her, implying there could be no other reason. Rudis bit her lip hard and cautiously asked.

“…Was that always an ingredient in making the medicine?”

Noah looked down at her with cold eyes, clearly amazed she didn’t know such basic information.

“The medicine I had prepared before was simply a general-purpose emergency treatment. To create a treatment tailored to an individual, specific ingredients are needed depending on the situation.”

Then he emphasized once more.

“That’s why I’m telling you to prepare that ingredient now.”

Rudis looked down at the beaker in her hand and her face fell. Noah’s meaning was clear.

He wants me to fill this? How exactly…

“Surely you’re not suggesting I need to help you with that as well?”

Rudis flinched at his cold voice and glanced at Noah. Seeing absolutely no room for negotiation in his face, she nodded solemnly.

“Fine. I’ll try.”

Rudis rose with determination. However, before she could take two steps, Noah’s sharp voice stopped her.

“Where are you going?”

“To my room. Why?”

Rudis answered with a bewildered expression. It was awkward enough that the treatment required vaginal fluid, but what she needed to do to prepare such an ingredient was even more uncomfortable. Naturally, she wanted to find a private space. No matter how she looked at it, this wasn’t something she could do where others might see her.

But Noah coldly replied, displaying no sense of propriety.

“Do it here, where I can see you.”

“…What?”

Rudis asked again in shock. Noah repeated himself without changing his expression.

“No impurities can mix with the ingredient. Therefore, I need to monitor the collection process. Surely you want your treatment to be successful?”

Rudis felt like crying. How could she possibly perform such an act in front of Noah? Especially in front of Noah, who seemed so devoid of lustful thoughts that he appeared almost insanely reverent.

Either unaware of Rudis’s feelings or pretending not to know, Noah had already prepared a specially designed chair and was pointing to it. His eyes demanded to know why she wasn’t getting to work, and Rudis rolled her eyes before lying on the chair and raising her legs.

Sigh…

Rudis couldn’t suppress a sigh as she placed the beaker directly beneath her private parts.

‘Do I really have to do this?’

She cautiously lifted her skirt. Even as she removed and tossed aside her underwear, Noah didn’t bat an eye, simply watching her moving hands. The humiliation was maddening.

“Do you really need to watch so closely?”

“Yes.”

Hearing his firm voice again, Rudis heaved another deep sigh.

‘Still, this is something I have to do. It’s just like a quest.’

Rudis squeezed her eyes shut and felt below.

‘Huh? What’s this?’

The hair that should naturally have been there couldn’t be felt. As Rudis fumbled in confusion, Noah calmly explained.

“I mentioned there might be side effects.”

Side effects? Belatedly, she recalled Noah’s words:

‘This isn’t perfect yet, so there may be side effects, but you’ll have to endure them.’

She had barely registered those words at the time, being too distracted. But she never imagined that the side effect she needed to endure would be the disappearance of her pubic hair. Suddenly feeling bare and empty, she ran her fingers over her n*ked skin, prompting Noah to coldly urge her on.

“Continue.”

Feeling the unusually cold air, Rudis carefully caressed her cl*toris as Xenon and Iska had done before. When they touched her there, fluid had dripped embarrassingly, but now she felt surprisingly nothing. The hairless area felt pleasantly smooth, but that was all.

‘It’s not my hand. Let me imagine it’s Xenon or Iska touching me.’

Rudis closed her eyes tightly and let her imagination soar. She pictured red hair diving between her spread legs, a tongue flicking, and rough fingers from farm work exploring her below. Yet despite her efforts, she still felt nothing.

Hmph.

Despite all her effort, her lower region remained bone dry. When she looked up with the most pitiful expression she could muster, wrinkles began to form between Noah’s sensitive brows. His face was filled with irritation, like a busy office worker waiting for a delayed train.

‘Alright, let me try something else.’

Rudis pushed a finger into her vaginal opening. Her slender, thin finger penetrated the tightly closed entrance. Xenon had said it would chew and suck, and Iska had claimed it would draw him in deeply, but they were both clearly liars. Inside was dry and stiff, making even the insertion of one small finger unpleasant.

True to her diligent nature, Rudis watched Noah’s reaction while working her finger earnestly. She tried to mimic how Xenon and Iska had touched her. But truly, she felt absolutely nothing. Remarkably so.

“Um, it’s not working well.”

After considerable effort, Rudis cautiously confessed. It seemed to be because Noah was watching her. This was clearly something that should be done alone in a private place, regardless of the purpose.

“You really are high-maintenance. Always have been.”

Noah sighed deeply and approached, putting on pristine white gloves. Seeing his darkened, tired eyes, Rudis’s previously unresponsive lower region began to twitch.

“Hnngh!”

A gloved finger thrust into her vaginal opening. Contrary to her earlier claim that it wasn’t working, fluid began to drip steadily.

“This won’t take long.”

Noah’s hand movements were highly efficient. He stimulated her cl*toris with his thumb while rapidly moving his fingers below. Rudis’s body twisted and her hips bucked.

“Do you want to spend all day like this? Have you become so lewd that you’d do this even in daylight?”

Noah used one hand to pin down Rudis’s pelvis. He had a delicate, fine body that had led her to mistake him for a priest. But contrary to her assumption that he would be fragile, the hand gripping her pelvis revealed considerable strength.

“There. Just a moment.”