As she neared the precipice, her body trembling uncontrollably, she clutched at his shoulders.  Sensing her imminent release, Seiden lifted his head to look at her. Bellota, feeling his gaze, shook her head.

“Ah, no…… Don’t look……”

But Seiden had already captured her hand, his lips pressing against her palm, his gaze fixed on her face. He refused to look away.

This moment, her face at this moment, belonged solely to him.  Her eyes, glazed over and wet with desire, her lips parted, the way her body trembled and yielded beneath him, a picture of blissful ruin—he was the only one who deserved to witness it. He wouldn’t share this sight with anyone, not anymore.

“No…… Don’t……”

Bellota whimpered, her face flushed, but Seiden’s gaze, burning with an intensity that bordered on possessiveness, never left her face. His tongue traced a wet path along her quivering palm, pushing deeper into her hand. His hips moved faster, his thrusts becoming more forceful.

Finally, his engorged c*ck, swollen to the point of bursting, rubbed against her swollen, sensitive nub.  Bellota’s back arched, her body succumbing to the overwhelming wave of pleasure.  Her body went limp, collapsing completely as she reached the peak. Seiden surged forward, burying himself deep inside her.

Bellota’s body disappeared beneath him, completely enveloped.

* * *

The night, thick with a heat that scorched the soul, passed.  The two lay entwined, their bodies still as one, until sleep finally claimed them.

Seiden had fallen asleep holding Bellota, her body safely tucked against his, but when he opened his eyes, she was gone.  He was alone.  Sunlight streamed through the windows, and the sound of birdsong filled the air. Seiden realized that Bellota had left the tower, leaving him behind.

Fear, heavy and cold, seized his heart. He scrambled to dress, pulling on his discarded clothes, then raced down the tower.  His horse, tethered at the base, nickered a greeting. The carriage that had brought Bellota and the other priests was gone.  They must have left some time ago.

Could it be that Bellota had……

“I accept the Duke’s proposal, so you should…… marry Princess Hestina.”

Seiden’s heart pounded against his ribs.

“Don’t…… Don’t do it……”

He had finally gotten her to say the words he’d longed to hear, but they hadn’t been her true feelings.  She had been under the influence of the curse, her mind clouded, her control lost.  Seiden wanted to find his past self, the one who had clung to those words and allowed himself a moment of foolish hope, and beat himself senseless.

How could he have been so stupid, so quick to believe?

He raced towards the Grand Temple, his mind a maelstrom of fear and regret.  He had to find Bellota.  As he dismounted, his frantic steps carrying him towards the entrance, Felton appeared, blocking his path.

“Commander!”

Seiden skillfully dodged Felton who was blocking his way and answered.

“Step aside, I must meet the Saintess.”

“No, the Saintess is not in the temple right now. She went to Duke Lylester’s castle.”

At those words, Seiden’s steps came to an abrupt halt. As he turned to look at Felton while frozen, Felton quickly added as if to say not to worry.

“The Saintess has decided to reject the Duke’s marriage proposal.”

Felton’s voice was mixed with deep relief and joy.

Only after hearing that secret hint did Seiden’s tightly wound, frozen eyes finally soften. Only then did Seiden deeply exhale the breath he had been holding as he slowly lowered his head.

As Seiden ran his hand over his face, unable to overcome the relief settling over his head, Felton looked at him with somewhat troubled eyes. Having never seen Seiden collapse so helplessly before, Felton could no longer doubt it. The reason why Seiden had volunteered to help with Bellota’s curse.

“From now on, don’t ask about obvious things.”

Where that almost blind favor had originated from.

“Get her some treatment. She won’t move until the Saintess fully recovers.”

Why Bellota was at the center of all of Seiden’s actions. So…… The Knight Commander of the Kanbremes Grand Temple, Seiden Blackwood, towards the Saintess……. 

“Why didn’t you go to obtain the rockdragon’s heart, Commander?”

At that sudden question, Seiden’s eyebrows twisted subtly as he remained frozen with his face in his hands. When Seiden raised his head again, he saw a face looking at him with a grave expression, waiting for his answer.

“If Duke Lylester could have brought it, you would have been able to as well, Commander. Of course, there’s no way that man defeated the rockdragon, but regardless, it’s a fact that that guy went to where the Forbidden Land is. Since it’s been confirmed that the gate connecting to that place was activated.”

“……Has the gate been repaired?”

When Seiden asked another question instead of answering, Felton shook his head, though he seemed quite displeased about it.

Since the Forbidden Land was very far from the capital at the northwestern end, the Magic Tower had created a gate connected to that place a hundred years ago. Of course, it was a gate that had been abandoned for decades since going there was now forbidden, but it was confirmed that Geril had indeed used it.

However, for some reason, part of the gate had been destroyed, so repairing the gate was the priority to verify if the rockdragon had truly disappeared. Of course, even if it were repaired, it was unlikely anyone would readily go there for verification.

“It will take several more months. Even if we repair the gate and find the rockdragon, it would have been too late if the marriage had gone through. The Duke must have been counting on that.”

Seiden also agreed with Felton’s thoughts. Indeed, Geril must have only pretended to visit the Forbidden Land and never actually encountered the rockdragon.

“Answer my question. Why, why aren’t you going? I’m asking because it’s difficult to assume that you feared the rockdragon, Commander.”

Felton persistently questioned. His face showed that he was determined to get an answer to that question.

Seiden also knew what Felton was asking about. That Felton had finally realized his feelings, and thus found it strange that he hadn’t gone to obtain the rockdragon’s heart. Of course, the reason Seiden hadn’t gone to the Forbidden Land wasn’t because he feared the rockdragon or worried about losing his life like others, as Felton suggested.

However…

“What use is permission from just one person?”

Seiden answered while looking at Felton as if it were no big deal. At those words, Felton’s expression, which had been somehow grave as if ready to pounce, froze stupidly.

“Look. Isn’t this how it ends up anyway?”

Then he muttered while frowning his eyebrows as if displeased.

“That oracle. I’ve thought it was nauseating enough to make me sick, from before.”

Yes, he had truly expected that damn oracle would cause something like this someday. Seiden glared at the sky as if there actually existed a god up there who had delivered that disgusting oracle.

Felton watched that blasphemous and impure act in a daze, as if he had been hit on the head.

It was strange. Even though he realized that Seiden Blackwood’s deep faith that he had shown to the world until now was not actually directed at God, he didn’t feel betrayed. Even though this man was clearly insulting God right now, he wasn’t angry. It felt like he had the right to do so. Was something wrong with his head? Even while blaming himself like this, Felton moved his trembling lips to speak.

“The Saintess will face much criticism.”

At those words, Seiden’s gaze, which had been fiercely fixed on the sky, came down to Felton. Seiden also seemed to know well what he was talking about. If the Saintess, who should uphold the will of the holy spirit, rejected the marriage proposal of a man who had fulfilled the oracle, the criticism of the entire empire would be directed at Bellota’s fragile back. Everyone knew. And thus, how selfish a man he ultimately was.

Felton looked at Seiden’s darkening eyes. Anxiety and slight guilt, anger. Though such things were complexly intertwined in his eyes, there was not even a hint of regret to be seen. Only then did Felton’s heart become set straight.

“Please stay by her side, Commander.”

Since that was an unexpected statement, Seiden looked at Felton with slightly surprised eyes. Silent support was contained in the eyes of the man who respected Bellota. Having clearly read that, Seiden nodded as if it were obvious.

“I will.”

Because that was the mission given to him.