Yevar covered his mouth with both hands as he instantly recognized it as the Demon God Book. Seiden placed the book on the table while enjoying his amusing reaction.

“As per our contract.”

After having used it to break Lady Margaret’s curse as well, it was time to fulfill his promise to Yevar.

Yevar’s mouth fell open. He was truly, deeply done with the man before him. Had he actually found the Demon God Book? When on earth? Chills ran down his spine. Moreover…….

“Really……? Are you really giving this to me?”

“I promised, didn’t I?”

Seiden answered indifferently. At that, Yevar’s heart sank, and something he had never felt before welled up inside him. Deep emotion.

“This is, really, ah……, Sir, you are truly, truly a wonderful man. Worthy of claiming the saintess……”

“Enough. It would be better not to mention the saintess with that mouth.”

When Seiden quietly warned him, Yevar shut his mouth tight.

Seiden knew that Yevar had figured out that Bellota was the one who had been under that sinister curse. Though it was quite unpleasant, there was nothing he could do about it.

Yevar showed no displeasure at being corrected, and with eyes full of nothing but admiration, he slowly reached for the Demon God Book. Once he got his hands on the remaining Demon God Book and possessed that tremendous magical power, now he would fear nothing…….

Nothing……?

“……What is this?”

Yevar grabbed the book and frantically examined it. He couldn’t feel the magical power he had expected. No, he definitely felt tremendous magical power so this was undoubtedly the Demon God Book, but it wasn’t even half of the power he had expected.

“As the empire’s finest mage, that much should be sufficient.”

When Seiden leisurely remarked, Yevar realized what he had done. Yevar’s mouth fell open in disbelief. But how? How could a man who wasn’t even a mage?

“Listen here, Sir……?”

However, Seiden had already turned his gaze away from him and was looking out the round window in the wall. The sun was slowly setting.

“The contract to find this book has ended. But that contract you created yourself by getting into the teacup doesn’t seem to be over.”

At those words, Yevar’s face turned pale. Of course. That was a lifelong contract. Which meant…….

Understanding the meaning in Seiden’s expression, Yevar smiled leisurely.

“Don’t worry, I have a conscience too. I’ll continue to bring you the materials you want from time to time.”

“No, I don’t need……”

“I seem to be out of time and need to go.”

“Sir, just a moment……”

“Ah, and those books. It would be better not to use them in strange ways. They’re quite troublesome books after all.”

After finishing his advice born from experience, Seiden stood up and turned away without hesitation. Yevar watched his retreating figure in a daze. After Seiden, who had come and gone from the magic tower as if it were his own home, disappeared as usual, Yevar’s gaze returned to the Demon God Book on the table.

A Demon God Book with such pathetic magical power. Just what did he do…….

“Aaaargh! Seiden Blackwood! You, you, you damned bastard!”

Finally, Yevar, who had lost his lifelong dream of conquering this continent by finding the Demon God Books, grabbed his head and screamed. The Demon God Book lying forlornly before him glowed pitifully.

* * *

After leaving Hellers Tower, Seiden headed to the temple. Among the buildings there, he naturally headed for the west tower where Bellota was staying. Arriving at the bottom of the tower, Seiden looked up at the sky out of habit. The half-moon had risen brightly, illuminating the elegant tower.

During the past full moon, Bellota had been safe. No force bound her anymore, and they could finally confirm that the saintess was completely free from the curse. Nevertheless, Seiden’s habit of checking the moon’s phase wouldn’t easily disappear. After confirming that the next full moon was still far away, Seiden finally lowered his gaze and stepped onto the stairs.

Seiden had never climbed all the way to the top of this west tower before. Bellota’s quarters were at the top. Nevertheless, this tower was familiar to Seiden. The events that had occurred here swept refreshingly across the cold night air.

Seiden slowly climbed the stairs. With each step, the time he had spent anxiously waiting for Bellota here scattered hazily. His figure seemed imprinted on the stairs, waiting for Bellota who wouldn’t come out of the tower after receiving Geril’s marriage proposal.

Climbing another step, the memory of reuniting with Bellota after she rejected Geril’s proposal hazily gathered and dispersed. Ascending two more steps, he recalled the anxiety and excitement of visiting daily to see Bellota, who stayed confined in the tower due to troublesome rumors.

As he climbed several more steps, the overwhelming confession he heard from Bellota before heading to the Forbidden Land rose in his heart like yesterday’s events, repeatedly appearing and disappearing as fresh as the night breeze.

Standing atop all those moments at the tower’s peak, he finally saw his current self, crystal clear and never to be blurred again.

Seiden slowly raised his hand to knock on the door. He heard the hurried sound of a chair being pushed back inside, followed by a moment of silence. Seiden patiently waited for her. Soon the door opened, revealing the face he had longed to see all day through the gap.

“Sir.”

When Bellota called him in a faint voice, his heart ached dully at just that simple address.

“May I come in?”

Seiden asked needlessly, planning to enter even if she refused.

“Will you leave if I say no?”

When Bellota knowingly asked, Seiden simply stared at her instead of answering. Smiling slightly at his shameless expression, Bellota hesitated, seemingly unaccustomed to his visits, but soon nodded faintly.

With her permission, Seiden entered the room. The room, modest and clean like Bellota herself, was empty. All her belongings had been packed. Finding that oddly pleasing, Seiden stared at the luggage arranged in the corner.

The warm air in the room was infused with the fragrant herb scent that always emanated from her. His heart swelled achingly at the thought that this distant fragrance would soon surround him completely.

“Sit down.”

When Bellota pointed to a small chair, Seiden deliberately dawdled to waste time. As Bellota looked at him questioningly, Seiden approached her instead of the offered chair and said,

“The chair seems a bit uncomfortable since it’s small.”

“Really?”

When Bellota asked in surprise as if she hadn’t considered this, Seiden nodded and skillfully changed the subject.

“It’s something you won’t need anymore anyway, so we can endure it for one day.”

At that, Bellota nodded seriously before resignedly pointing to her bed.

“Then sit here instead.”

That was exactly the answer Seiden wanted. He immediately seized the suggestion, sitting on the bed and pulling her arm. Bellota was caught off guard and ended up sitting rather indecently on his lap. Seiden buried his face in her neck and closed his eyes like someone who had been holding back all day. A serenity that felt like finally finding his place settled over his face.

“Um, Sir……”

When Bellota spoke quietly with reddened cheeks, Seiden raised his head and whispered shamelessly.

“How long will you keep calling me that?”

Bellota fell silent. Seiden had a point. She couldn’t keep using such a title for him forever. After all, tomorrow he would become her……

“Then what should I call you?”

When Bellota seriously contemplated this, rolling her eyes in deep thought, Seiden’s lower region grew tense.

“My name. Please call me by my name.”

At that gentle whisper, understanding dawned in Bellota’s eyes. She hesitated for a moment as if considering, then repeated his name.

“……Seiden.”

That call brought another aching pain to his heart. Seiden answered while never taking his eyes off Bellota sitting on his lap.

“Yes, my wife.”

Bellota’s ears turned bright red. She tried to hide it while responding calmly.

“Not yet.”

“Either way, tomorrow the Saintess will become my wife.”

Seiden spoke firmly, as though he was stating an absolute fact that could neither be changed nor revoked. Of course. It was an unchangeable truth.

Tomorrow, he and Bellota would pledge eternal love before everyone and become husband and wife. Though only a day remained, Seiden felt childishly impatient and anxious. Afraid this impossible happiness might scatter like a dream.

Only after tomorrow’s wedding, becoming husband and wife, and confirming multiple times that Bellota would fall asleep and wake up by his side, would this foolish anxiety finally disappear.

Seiden recalled Bellota running to him with tears staining her face. She had clung to him for so long, as if he might vanish if she let go, and only looked at his face after gaining certainty that he wouldn’t disappear. The desperate touch still felt vivid.

“You said you wouldn’t do this again……”

Even now his throat stung painfully remembering her sorrowful crying face. All Seiden could do was vow never to make Bellota cry again. After crying resentfully for a long while, Bellota had flung herself into his arms again and said something. So desperately and tenderly, as if that was all that mattered.

Seiden truly wanted to hear those words again that had given him new life. He pulled Bellota close, holding her while whispering tenderly in her delicate ear.

“Bellota. Please say those words you said to me then, one more time.”

Bellota’s ears turned hot as she immediately understood his words.

“I said it…… the day before yesterday.”

Seiden had pulled Bellota into an empty prayer room in the old building where worshippers didn’t go after she finished mass. There, he had held her for a long time, kissing her forehead, cheeks, and lips, refusing to let go while begging her to whisper those words again. And the next day in a corner of the empty herb garden, and the day after behind the pipe organ in the music room while noble ladies’ voices could be heard.

Though anxious about being caught in these amorous acts, Bellota had whispered those embarrassing words several times at his insistence.

“That was the day before yesterday. I want to hear it again now.”

Seiden firmly held her slender body to prevent escape while stubbornly insisting. His face suggested he might spend the whole night like this if she didn’t repeat those words once more.

Bellota also vividly remembered everything from that day.