Whoever he was, why did she keep calling out his name? It was so irritating. She had s*x with him, yet despite f*cking her senseless, she called out not Nicholas, but Benjamin or whatever his name was.

Of course, that was just a dream, but she had done the same thing while kissing him in reality. It was utterly displeasing.

Yes. This was definitely a curse. If not, then she was possessed by a demon of lust. It was a very serious problem.

He tried to escape it, but it seemed like a problem he couldn’t solve alone. It was time to seek professional advice.

***

“I’m sorry to bother you when you’re busy, Your Excellency.”

“What brings Your Excellency here?”

An unexpected request for an audience.

Sebastian Klein, the High Priest sitting opposite Nicholas Reinhart, still looked bewildered.

Sebastian had risen to the position of High Priest early on due to his strong holy power. While his abilities were respected, in Nicholas’s eyes, he was still just a greenhorn.

In terms of sermons and doctrine, no one was said to surpass Nicholas. In the temple, roles and territories were strictly divided, so they rarely had reasons to interact. But of all things, he had to seek advice on this matter.

Nicholas felt a deep sense of self-loathing about his situation. Normally, troubles and worries weren’t Nicholas Reinhart’s to bear. Thus, this sudden test from the gods was just bewildering.

Well, he had to grasp at straws. If it could resolve this miserable situation, he could cling to anyone, even a newborn, not just Sebastian Klein.

Nicholas forced a calm demeanor and lifted the corners of his mouth.

“I understand that Your Excellency is well-versed in curses and exorcism rituals. I have something urgent I need advice on.”

“Pardon? Is there something troubling Your Excellency?”

Sebastian’s eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected topic Nicholas brought up.

“Ah, well. It’s not about me, but rather a story from a believer who came to confess.”

The plan was perfect. It was too embarrassing to confess openly, so he created a fictional believer. He intended to pretend it was a counseling session and discreetly seek advice.

“I hesitated for a long time about whether it was right to disclose the contents of a confession. However, I don’t think I can resolve it on my own. If you’re uncomfortable with this, please let me know, Your Excellency.”

“No, it’s fine. If Your Excellency is seeking advice from me, there must be a good reason. The Lord will understand as well. Please, feel free to speak.”

The groundwork was laid. Now it was time to satisfy his curiosity.

“The person who confessed to me is a male believer.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

“Forgive me for saying this, but the believer was suddenly kissed by a woman.”

“…Oh dear. That must have been shocking. By a complete stranger?”

Yeah, it felt like his heart dropped. Sebastian’s eyes, listening intently, shone with genuine concern.

“Not a complete stranger, but someone he had seen a few times before. Anyway, after that, the believer…”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry. It’s a bit embarrassing to say…”

“In helping the children of the Lord, there is no such thing as embarrassing words. Please continue. Since you said it was a confession, I will keep it confidential.”

As Nicholas hesitated slightly, Sebastian promised to keep it confidential.

“Every time he recalls it, he gets an er*ction. It’s causing him great distress.”

He finally said it. Nicholas looked at Sebastian, waiting for a response. Sebastian, who had been listening intently, tilted his head when the conversation abruptly stopped.

“…Is that all?”

“Oh, there’s more.”

“Please, tell me in more detail so I can understand the situation better.”

“Since then, he’s been having indecent dreams every night. Mostly dreams of having frantic intercourse with that woman.”

“By intercourse, you mean s*x?”

“Yes, s*x.”

Damn it. Just mentioning it made him feel like his c*ck was half-hard. Nicholas pinched his own thigh under the table as if scolding himself, then added,

“Could it be that the believer is under a curse of lust or perhaps the work of a succubus? Oh, and by the way, if there is an issue, I’m also curious if an exorcism ritual might be necessary.”

“Hmm….”

A wry smile soon spread across Sebastian’s lips, who had been lost in thought for a moment.

The other person is being serious. How dare you laugh?

Although he tried to maintain his composure, anger welled up inside him. The corner of Nicholas’s mouth, who was wearing a gentle smile, twitched slightly.

“I understand Your Excellency’s concern for the believer, but this time it seems your worry might be a bit excessive.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“A man desiring a woman is not a sin, but rather a very natural principle. Although I don’t know the details, it seems an exorcism ritual won’t be necessary.”

“How can you be so sure when you don’t know those details?”

“Just from hearing the story, I can clearly see it’s ultimately a tug-of-war between reason and instinct.”

You should just perform the exorcism ritual. Where do you get off spouting nonsense like some back-alley fortune teller? While suppressing his rising anger, Sebastian added with a broad smile.

“Please tell that believer it’s lovesickness, Your Excellency.”

As expected, it’s the worst conclusion.

The smile gradually faded from Nicholas’s face after hearing such terrible advice.

***

In the dead of night. Today too, Nicholas was endlessly waiting for someone in the large bathhouse.

How many days has it been already? No matter how long he waited, he couldn’t meet her. Although it was unpleasant to come to a place used by many people, there were unavoidable circumstances.

“A man desiring a woman is not a sin, but rather a very natural principle. Although I don’t know the details, it seems an exorcism ritual won’t be necessary.”

He pondered over the advice he had recently received from High Priest Sebastian Klein.

It was said without knowing the details.

No matter how much he thought about it, that was the only answer. Without even knowing the details. Why pretend to know and talk nonsense? Well, it was mostly his own fault for seeking advice from such a wet-behind-the-ears youngster.

“Please tell that believer it’s lovesickness, Your Excellency.”

Suddenly saying it’s lovesickness. Isn’t that nonsense without any context or basis?

Is it okay for a clergyman to speak so carelessly? Even for such an important matter that could determine a person’s life? No matter how he thought about it, it was behavior that went against the basic ethics of a clergyman. He wanted to refer it to the Ethics Committee, but since he had pretended it wasn’t his own issue, he suppressed the urge to formally complain.

‘Me? To Rarien Claude, that gloomy woman?’

What does that young brat know to talk so recklessly? Does he think anything that comes out of his mouth is valid? It was absurd.

Nicholas usually didn’t trust others. Therefore, he also didn’t prefer seeking advice from others, but this time he was desperate enough to grasp at straws. As expected, he shouldn’t have done something he doesn’t usually do.

Didn’t he just end up in a bad mood for no reason by asking? Recalling Sebastian Klein’s appearance, tilting his head as if wondering why he was asking such an obvious thing, made his blood boil.

It’s nonsense. Rarien Claude, that gloomy woman, must have surely cast a curse, and since she said she wouldn’t appear before him, she must be busy performing rituals behind his back.

If that’s not the case, how else can this series of situations be explained?

There’s only one option left. He was determined to catch Rarien Claude and scrutinize every detail until he uncovered the truth. So he sneaked into the bathhouse secretly like that day.

Tap tap, tap tap.

“Rarien Claude.”

Tap tap. Tap tap. Tap tap.

“Hoo, Rarien.”

Recalling the unpleasant memory of that day reflexively made him er*ect. So, today too, he was shaking his c*ck while n*ked. As always, he called out Rarien Claude’s name with his mouth.

A faint fragrance lingered in his nostrils. He had thoroughly washed his body in his room. He was already clean, and he would wash again when he returned to his room, but fearing he might smell, he used a fragrant perfume.

It wasn’t the scent he wanted. It should have been a sweeter smell. For instance, like the sweet fragrance that wafted when he kissed that woman or when she spread her legs.