“W-what kind of price……?”

“How about serving as slaves in the Anuflé Monastery until your sins are cleansed?”

He glanced at their pale faces and added casually:

“For about…… twenty years.”

Considering your sins, isn’t this quite a light punishment? As Eriendna heard Ludwig murmuring indifferently, the world seemed to end as everything went dark before her eyes.

The monastery’s slave punishment for nobles who committed serious crimes was more terrible than being imprisoned doing nothing. In particular, the Anuflé Monastery near the border was known as the worst place famous for imposing hard labor day and night. She had heard that there, regardless of gender, they shaved everyone’s head and made them work all day, with meals consisting of only miserable potatoes and vegetables…….

Just as she was about to plead for mercy again, Geoff, whose eyes had gone wild with the pain and anger of losing an arm, shouted beside her as if having a fit:

“Make me a slave? Stop talking nonsense! That sort of thing is only fitting for that dirty girl born from a lowly maid!”

Eriendna wanted to kick him in the groin just to make him shut up. Despite her desperate look, Geoff continued to flap his precious mouth.

“This is all because of that bastard girl! I should have dried up that dirty wench’s blood long ago….. It makes my skin crawl just to think that even half of our family’s blood flows in that lowborn thing’s body!”

“Enough.”

Ludwig raised his hand to stop his words, not hiding his displeasure.

“Lord Hazel has a bad habit of speaking carelessly.”

“Kuk, kuuk……!”

Suddenly, with tremendous pressure, Geoff’s throat constricted, and he bulged his eyes at the extreme pain as if his vocal cords were being gouged out with a knife. The more he tried to force out a sound, the more unbearable the pain became.

“A tongue that produces unnecessary words would be better off not existing.”

“Krgh……! Kuk!”

“Besides…… you seem to be greatly mistaken about something.”

Ludwig looked down expressionlessly at Geoff, who was rolling on the floor in pain as if his tongue was burning.

“Actually, I considered exterminating the House of Count Hazel a very long time ago.”

“……!”

“Why do you think I have kept you alive until now? “

“……Kugh……”

“When she was young, Laura came to me crying every day because of you. But when I asked if she wanted her tormenting family to receive God’s punishment and disappear from the world, she always shook her head and said no.”

Eriendna turned pale and prostrated herself, begging:

“P-please…… mercy……”

“The reason Lady and Lord Hazel are still breathing today is thanks to her kind heart that considers even those with personalities worse than insects as family. Not because of my mercy.”

Well, there are personal reasons too. His beautiful platinum blonde hair fluttered as if alive behind Ludwig’s back as he passed by the two.

“Having even half of the same blood as her is your greatest fortune, so you should live your lives in gratitude for that.”

As if not wanting to exchange any more words, Ludwig was about to leave when he suddenly turned back to look at Geoff.

“Ah, I believe Lord Hazel said that fact made his skin crawl……”

“……!”

“Feel free to say so whenever needed. I can dry up every last drop of that blood flowing in your body, if necessary.”

* * *

When she lifted her heavy eyelashes and saw the person before her, Florencia thought she might be dreaming briefly before dying. It must be God’s mercy, showing her the face she missed most one last time before the pain of death overwhelmed her.

Was the dream setting also creating a fantasy of her desired place? The familiar bedroom of Ludwig came into view. The wounds from being dragged around, scraped here and there, and beaten by Aaron had already disappeared without a trace.

Huh?

Even after blinking several times, his apparition didn’t disappear but became increasingly clear. Florencia rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and made a confused sound.

“……High Priest Ludwig……?”

He silently raised the corner of his mouth slightly. It was a gentle and absolute smile that instantly dispelled any anxiety.

“Laura.”

“Sob…… Father……!”

Florencia burst into tears. The hardship during his absence, the extreme fear she had felt earlier, and the contrasting relief now all mixed together, pouring out in unstoppable tears.

“That person was going to…… stab me with a knife…… sob.”

“Yes, you were scared, Laura.”

“Yes…… I was so, terrified…… Sniff, I don’t remember anything after that, Father……”

“I’m here now, so everything is fine, don’t worry.”

Ludwig, who had been sitting at the edge of the bed, pulled her into his arms and comforted her by patting her back. He had used his power to put her to sleep, unable to show her the cruel scene of slaughtering the heretics, and seeing how frightened she was now, it had clearly been the right decision.

“I thought I would never see you again……”

The thought that he could have lost her forever was something he didn’t want to imagine either. Looking at the thin chain gleaming at the back of Florencia’s neck, Ludwig sighed. The locket pendant he had given her at the Stefain festival was not just an ordinary necklace sold at the night market. It was an exquisite piece of craftsmanship, a supreme holy relic filled with holy power along with a strand of his hair.

He had prepared it partly out of concern that something might happen before he could take Florencia to Elysium, and partly out of somewhat sentimental feelings…… Ordinary lovers in the world sometimes put each other’s hair or small portraits in such things as gifts.

‘If this pendant hadn’t alerted me to her danger……’

It was horrifying. If something had happened to Florencia, he surely wouldn’t have survived either. Or he would have gone mad, cursing himself for not taking her away immediately despite the difficulties.

Ludwig tightened his arms around Florencia, shaking off the terrible thoughts he didn’t want to consider.

Only after a considerable time in his embrace did Florencia’s sobbing gradually subside.

“I was, rude to you, Father…… Sniff, I thought you were angry and wouldn’t come back……”

“How could that be possible.”

He extended his long fingers to wipe away the tears flowing down Florencia’s cheeks as he reasoned with her.

“It’s true I was angry, but to never see you again…… I’m not such an irresponsible teacher.”

Embarrassed to show such a mess of a face during their reunion after so long, Florencia sniffled softly.

“But graduation is coming soon, so the promised education period is almost over……”

So, I was so afraid that you might not see me anymore…… Listening carefully to her small voice, Ludwig brought his lips close to her ear. When his long eyelashes, the same color as his soft platinum blonde hair, brushed against her cheek, Florencia flinched and trembled slightly.

“……Can you manage well without me?”

The sensation of his low voice and warm breath lightly grazing her earlobe was as vivid as if painted with oil paints. Florencia blushed from her sensitive nape to the tiny tip of her ear, and only belatedly understood the content of that sentence, becoming flustered.

“N-no……”

Her teary violet eyes trembled, and she firmly grasped his clothes with her small hand as if he might disappear.

“……I can’t live without you, Father Ludwig……”

Ludwig’s low laughter resonating in his throat somehow sounded very pleasant.

……Then, how do you think I would feel? This time he asked again, gently biting her soft earlobe between his lips, breathing a low breath. Florencia couldn’t answer promptly and only watched his reaction. He pulled her soft, small body closer into his arms, completely enveloping her in his embrace.

“At this point, I’d like to discuss our lessons. As you said, graduation is not far off, and it’s true that the education is coming to an end.”

“……”

“Laura, do you remember the purpose of education that I told you when I started the first lesson?”

“Yes…… You said I would feel God’s power and my heart would be filled with faith……”

As Ludwig’s outer garment that had been draped over her shoulders slipped off, his hand naturally came inside. There was a small resistance as she squirmed in his arms, but he firmly embraced her with one arm, making it meaningless, as he whispered secretively:

“……So, how was it receiving my teachings? Has faith filled you completely?”

His large hand covered her left br*ast. Florencia made a small sound of swallowing in surprise, but as if there was no s*xual intent, he gently pushed the soft flesh to the left and pressed it diagonally.

“What emotion is filling you right now? ……Respect for God? Awe?”

It was neither. At his question, Florencia’s heart suddenly pounded as if it would burst. The sound of her heart beating strongly could be heard under the large, warm palm touching her skin.

“Tell me, Laura. What did you learn from me?”

“……Father Ludwig……”

Florencia felt embarrassed. Her chest, beating too strongly and quickly, was fully in contact with him, making her feel as if her heart was being exposed with her insides split open. She wanted to avoid it, but somehow couldn’t move her body. Ludwig, still maintaining his position, took her small hand and placed it on his own left chest.

The muscle of his chest touched her palm. Because that firm sensation was so warm, and because the heart beneath it was beating at the same pace as hers, Florencia nearly burst into tears. His profound gaze, like a deep lake, held her firmly.

“Have you come to understand the most important thing I wanted to teach you, Laura?

“Yes, yes……”