For a moment, it seemed as if sunlight poured out from inside the door. Florencia stared blankly with her mouth open at the person who emerged.

An angel……?

No, even the angels in storybooks weren’t this beautiful. His sparkling emerald eyes radiated a color like exotic jewels. This beautiful man kept smiling cheerfully as he swept back his platinum blonde hair that shone bright even at night. Though everything around was pitch dark, it felt as if only the space where he stood was brightly lit.

“Oh my, you have a fever.”

A large hand gently rested on Florencia’s forehead. He created a pure white, sacred light from his fingertips, and as the light seeped in, her temperature immediately dropped and the pain disappeared.

“……Are you, God?”

He carried Florencia, who stood there dazed and speechless, inside. Shortly after, wrapped in the warm blanket he brought and eating soft bread and soup, Florencia asked the question she had been thinking about all along.

“……What?”

To the question she had mustered years’ worth of courage to ask, the man opened his eyes wide and burst into laughter.

“You don’t know God, do you?”

“……”

“You poor thing.”

After laughing for a while, he lightly placed his hand on Florencia’s head, then took out a children’s Bible in storybook form from a drawer. Not knowing what to say, she simply stared at the pretty picture on the cover for a long time.

“If you have sad things happen, come to the temple anytime. You can come every day if you want, because our God loves all His children.”

“But I…… I won’t be able to come here again……”

In a few days, she would be sent to the snake-like Marquis Deugish’s territory. Her eyes grew hot with the overwhelming sense of hopelessness. Florencia silently shed tears.

He listened to Florencia’s story and frowned, quietly thinking about something. A cold light seemed to flash for a moment in his beautiful emerald eyes, but her vision was blurry with tears and she couldn’t see clearly. When he wiped her tears with his sleeve, the face before her wore a kind smile again.

“It’s too late today, so sleep and go tomorrow.”

“……”

“What you’re worried about won’t happen.”

To Florencia, who froze in fear at the thought of returning home, he whispered softly. It’s okay. His tone was quiet and gentle, but it inspired an incredible sense of trust and immediately calmed her heart.

The next day, he called a carriage and escorted her home. Seeing him wearing a white garment with long sleeves in the morning, Florencia realized he was a priest. She kept looking back, sad to part with the kind being she had met for the first time.

“……Can I really come every day?”

“Of course, if you come and someone else is there, say you came looking for me.”

“……What should I say?”

“Ludwig, that’s my name.”

Ludwig……

That was their first meeting.

When she returned home, Count Hazel, whom she thought would be furious and beat her, said nothing to her. Marquis Deugish, who had said he would come for her in ten days, didn’t appear even after much time had passed. Florencia learned from the whispers of the maids that his illegal activities had been exposed, and the ancient Marquis family had been exterminated overnight.

Ludwig’s words that everything would be okay were true. What Florencia had worried about truly did not happen.

Some time later, Florencia was officially registered as a daughter of the family. After that, she visited the temple almost daily. Ludwig taught Florencia about God’s existence, how to pray, and how to live according to God’s word. He was sometimes very strict, but for the young girl, he was the most kind and trustworthy person.

“When I grow up, I’ll become God’s bride.”

It was perhaps natural that young Florencia came to have such thoughts. If someone asked why she wanted to become God’s bride, she couldn’t give a specific reason, but the clear fact was that Florencia truly wanted it.

As dreams often do, the scene changed without warning. Now an adult, Florencia was in the same place in the temple. Wearing a pure white mass veil like a wedding veil, she prayed, and someone came to sit beside her.

“Florencia, will you really become God’s bride?”

When she opened her eyes, elegant emerald eyes like deep lakes were looking at her. His smile, warm as sunshine, and his white-blonde hair that seemed to reflect light were dazzling.

“Lud, wig……”

When she called his name, Ludwig smiled broadly in his usual playful manner. His mellow voice whispered. That voice was so kind and pleasant, it seemed like an angel’s voice, or God’s voice, or perhaps a seductive demon’s.

“Instead of becoming God’s bride, how about becoming my bride?”

Florencia’s eyes widened.

“Laura, become my bride.”

He spoke affectionately once more and tilted his head as he approached. His delicate eyes curved, demanding an affirmative answer. Yes, I will. As soon as she answered dreamily, Ludwig lowered his lips.

The kiss in the dream was as rich and soft as reality. Those hands that had touched various parts of her body and invaded her insides many times firmly held the back of her neck and waist. Soon she was pulled in, their bodies pressed together so tightly she could barely breathe. Without any resistance, her lips parted, and he slid inside. His tongue, as smooth and elegant as its owner, coiled around hers, thoroughly exploring the soft mucous membrane inside her cheeks, her even teeth, and the roof of her mouth. The sound of their closed tongues rubbing against each other and sucking in each other’s saliva could be heard. Only humid, hot air circulated in the quiet midday temple.

Haah, haah…… For just a brief moment when their lips parted, Florencia exhaled breathlessly. The distance between them remained close, and she could feel his soft breath between them. Ludwig laughed quietly as their foreheads lightly touched.

“I love you, Laura.”

The dream version of him suddenly confessed. Florencia felt immensely happy at those words but was also puzzled.

Why is Father saying he loves me? That’s……

“I love you.”

Contrary to the last remnants of reason, every cell in her body trembled with joy at hearing the intimate confession. That single phrase had the power to change everything. Her heart beat so fast it felt like it would burst. The white lace mass veil she had been wearing on her head fell to the floor and rolled away.

As if following a natural sequence, Ludwig undressed Florencia while their bodies overlapped on the long bench in the chapel. The flimsy pieces of cloth separated from her body very easily. Florencia soon wore nothing, but perhaps because it was a dream, she didn’t feel embarrassed about being n*ked as she normally would. When she gathered her courage and placed her hand on Ludwig’s clothing, he smiled and removed his clothes as well.

“Ludwig……”

Florencia called his name once more, as if dreaming. He answered her call with her name. Laura.

The beautiful body like a marble sculpture she had once witnessed by the lake pressed its bare skin against hers. It seemed so perfect that it should be cold like marble, but the body touching her was soft and hot, just like hers.

He guided Florencia’s hand to touch his body too. She hesitated a little but soon slowly caressed his broad, straight shoulders, firm arms, and the muscles of his back and chest. She thought a man’s body would be frightening to encounter for the first time, but Ludwig’s n*ked form was dazzlingly beautiful.

“I’ll become your bride, Father.”

He seemed pleased with her shy response. Soft, hot skin overlapped, and every point of contact convulsed with sweet ecstasy. Melting kisses showered every part of her unclothed body.

Ludwig made her spread her legs and gently stroked the area where light pubic hair grew neatly. As his long fingers moved up and down the split in her heated p*ssy, a light squelching sound came from below. The motion of opening her tightly closed flesh was flexible and gentle. Her hips involuntarily lifted at the delicate touch that stroked her cl*toris. The subsequent invasion also felt like a natural act. The moist mucous membrane inside welcomed his fingers, wrapping tightly around them.

He gave her a look suggesting she should look at his lower part too, but Florencia shook her head. He didn’t push further and moved up to align their bodies.

“……Ah!”

In the dream world, there existed no hesitation or pain. Only undeniable yearning and hot pleasure remained. Finally, surrendering her body to the pleasure that crashed like a tidal wave, they became one.

* * *

Florencia prayed more earnestly than ever before.

How could I have such fantasies about Father, even if it was just a dream……

Such thoughts dishonor the holy priest.

Though no one could read her mind, her face, hidden behind the thick mass veil, burned hot.

It was a day for regular mass. Ludwig had been absent from the temple all week, claiming he had pressing matters to handle. Though she knew he would return this morning and could have greeted him before mass began, she deliberately avoided doing so. She sat hiding in the farthest corner of the central hall’s third floor, a place not easily noticed, where widows and travelers usually sat.

Though the weather was warm, she wore a modest dress that came up to her neck. Despite being wrapped so tightly that it felt suffocating, the skin hidden underneath still felt burning hot.

Even after the mass had ended, she continued praying alone for quite some time before quietly slipping out through the back door. She walked slowly through the garden at the back of the temple where few people ventured.