Hoo…… Ludwig ej*culated deep inside her with a dizzying feeling. He calmly caught his breath, enjoying the languid, satisfying afterglow of his climax. His c*ck remained inside Florencia’s v*gina without reducing in size even after ej*culating. He could feel through the surface of his c*ck how her tender vaginal walls were still heated and twitching, repeatedly contracting and relaxing.

“Laura, you did well. Did you enjoy it?”

Good girl, good girl. He stroked her soft silver hair and kneaded her soft b*ttocks, patting her as if praising her. Florencia, completely exhausted, embraced his neck and rested her head on his shoulder, taking short, rapid breaths.

“Father, I…… have something I want to ask.”

“What is it? Speak freely, Laura.”

“Um, perhaps…… do you always educate other saintess candidates…… in this way?”

Her barely audible small voice revealed traces of much hesitation, as if wondering whether she should ask.

“Well.”

Ludwig bit his lip and smiled, subtly avoiding the question.

“Why are you curious about that?”

“J-just…… I want to know……”

He suddenly noticed that her smooth back, round b*ttocks, and the neat crevice between them had all turned pink. The small body beginning to understand the joy of s*xual love between man and woman was extremely lovable. The girl who had known nothing had grown by consuming the love he poured out, and now, with a woman’s instinct to be loved, she wanted to confirm her man’s heart.

“Laura, do you like me?”

His eyes, which sometimes appeared cold when he wasn’t smiling, now held her completely. Cupping her flushed cheeks with his large hands, Ludwig asked carefully.

“Yes…… Father Ludwig.”

He sighed lightly and placed his hand on Florencia’s head, stroking it.

Ludwig felt infinite emotions toward the small girl before him, too vast to be described by such clichéd expressions as love or like. Yet, from his position where he couldn’t utter even those ordinary words, it was infinitely frustrating. If even such obvious words could reassure her, he wanted to whisper them thousands, tens of thousands of times, even if it meant staying up all night.

“Father, what about you? Do you really consider this…… merely education?”

When no answer came, her round purple eyes trembled, looking as if they might well up with tears at any moment. Her thin voice trembled even more than before.

Ludwig forcibly suppressed the twisted feeling of bitterness at being unable to respond despite hearing the words he had so desired. The sacred oath of a holy man bound him like punishment, preventing him from saying even a single word she wanted to hear, though he knew better than anyone what those words were.

“Sometimes…… the body feels more honest than words.”

He cupped her soft br*asts that fit perfectly in his hands. Catching the small pink n*pples between his fingers and pulling them slightly, he reasoned with her.

“If another man touched you here, would your n*pples stand this er*ect?”

Her violet eyes widened at the unexpected question. She quickly shook her head in denial.

“When you’re with me, why do you think your lower part gets wet even before I touch you?”

“……”

“Because you like me. Right?”

Ludwig looked into her eyes kindly, demanding an answer as he took her hand.

“A man’s body works the same way, Laura.”

He took her small hand and placed it on his c*ck again. His c*ck, which he had withdrawn from inside her, had only slightly reduced in size while maintaining its hardness, and when Florencia’s hand touched it, it frightfully swelled again.

“With someone I don’t have feelings for, it’s just a piece of flesh, but when I’m with a woman I’m attracted to, it naturally becomes aroused and……”

The prec*m seeping from the surface of his gl*ns wetted her palm stickily.

“Gets er*ect like this.”

“Ah……!”

Though she blushed with embarrassment, she seemed to realize something and let out a small exclamation close to a sigh.

“You are my only student. In the past and in the future. So don’t worry unnecessarily, Laura.”

He gently wiped her reddened eyes with his thumb, meaning don’t cry, I feel the same as you, but for some reason, she burst into louder tears with a “hwaang.”

That day, Ludwig had to work hard to console Florencia, who wouldn’t stop crying, but he didn’t find it tiring at all because he loved the soft, smooth feeling of her bare skin nestling against him like a kitten.

* * *

“……Because that famous young nobleman is returning, all the ladies in the class are rushing to have new dresses made for the ball. When I came out after class, there were at least twenty carriages parked in front of the main gate, so I had to slip out through the side door.”

“I see. By the new dress shop in the capital, do you mean the building across the Pleje Bridge?”

“Huh? That’s right. You know about it too, Father?”

“I think I heard ladies talking about it during mass. They say it’s the most popular dress shop in the capital these days.”

The teacup emitting warm steam had a subtle raspberry scent. Ludwig took a slow sip of the tea while listening to Florencia’s story with interest.

To be precise, he was looking at her amethyst-like eyes and soft lips as she chattered about trivial daily matters.

“Eriendna couldn’t go because she was doing her history homework, and by then all the appointments were booked. She was so angry with me, saying it was all my fault she couldn’t go to Madame Eloise’s dress shop.”

“How is that your fault?”

“Because I told her I wouldn’t do her homework for her anymore.”

“That lady is still asking you to do her homework?”

Ludwig narrowed his brows, showing his disapproval.

“Yes, but I told her she should do it herself from now on since I don’t have time until graduation. With classes and lessons with you, Father…”

“Well done. But, aren’t you preparing, Laura? You said all the other ladies are having dresses made for the graduation ball.”

“……I’m fine. Though the teacher insisted I must attend the graduation ball, what would I do at such a place?”

Florencia covered her mouth slightly and smiled shyly. As the hottest season passed and the cool winds of early autumn arrived, she had become as beautiful as a blooming flower, true to her name. Her white skin, thoroughly loved, glowed smoothly, and her cheeks had a lovely pink tint.

Ludwig thought he should take her to Elysium Temple as soon as possible.

“Even so, don’t you want to have a beautiful dress? Most women seem very interested in pretty clothes.”

“To be honest…… when Eriendna was showing off her new evening gown, I occasionally thought I’d like to try wearing such a splendid dress at least once.”

Florencia immediately waved her hands after speaking and smiled broadly.

“But even if I had a dress, I have nowhere to wear it. I can’t wear such clothes to lessons with you, Father! Besides, recent capital fashions are too daring… The current ball gowns are incredibly revealing.”

“I see, I can’t let just anyone see you in such clothes…… If that happened, I would have to blind the eyes of all who saw you.”

Well, it would be fine if you wore it only in front of me, he added as he crossed the room, causing Florencia to open her eyes wide.

“……Father? You say frightening things as if they’re jokes.”

“Did it sound like a joke? I was completely serious.”

“……”

Suppressing his desire to immediately confine her in the deepest room inside the vast Temple where no one but himself could see her, he brought a soft blanket and covered Florencia with it.

“I’ve heard it’s not good for women to have their lower parts cold. Stay warm, Laura.”

“Thank you, Father. It hurt a lot this morning, but being like this makes it feel much better.”

On Florencia’s flat lower abdomen, as she leaned back on Ludwig’s bed, rested a warm leather hot water bottle.

“I’m glad it’s effective. For other pains, I could treat them with holy power, but it rarely works for menstrual pain…… It seems even divine power has its limitations.”

Ludwig quietly rose from his seat and went to the table, tilted the teapot to refill the empty cup, and handed it to her.

“Herbal tea isn’t harmful even if you drink two cups, so take your time and have more. Raspberry tea has a slightly bitter aftertaste, but it shouldn’t be too bad. It’s also one of the best remedies for women’s menstrual pain.”

“Yes, I will, Father Ludwig.”

Holy power that can heal all types of illnesses doesn’t work only on menstrual pain and labor pain. Perhaps it’s because these aren’t illnesses? Or is it because they’re related to the birth of noble life, so one must endure the corresponding pain? Thinking this, Florencia swallowed the warm tea.

“Since tomorrow is a holiday, why don’t you stay overnight?”

“No, I think I should go today.”

Though she wanted to stay with him just as much, Florencia was secretly worried. By now, his invitation to stay overnight surely meant sleeping together in this very bed, but if her menstrual blood happened to stain Father’s bed……

As if reading her thoughts, Ludwig laughed softly and said:

“I remember when you first started her period. You came to me crying loudly. Your frightened face was so adorable.”

“D-don’t talk about that time! I was too young then……”

“Even so, wasn’t that just 3-4 years ago?”

Florencia’s face flushed as if on fire. That was before she even entered the Academy, when she didn’t even know what menstruation was. No one at the Hazel residence took care of her or taught her about such matters. When one day her lower abdomen suddenly hurt terribly and blood flowed from her secret place, soaking her underwear, Florencia was truly frightened.

“I was conducting mass when I heard you were looking for me, so I ended it earlier than planned and went out. When you saw me, you cried sorrowfully saying you might die soon, and I can’t tell you how shocked I was.”

“……At that time, I really thought I had contracted a serious illness. I was so scared, couldn’t confide in anyone, and you were the only person I could rely on, Father……”