7. Lucid dream

In front of the High Priest’s office. Rarien was hesitating, unable to enter right away.

She was too nervous. Entering here of her own accord felt like being offered as a sacrifice to a beast’s den while still alive.

She came because it seemed to be about her panties. Why did Nicholas pick them up?

With what intention? If it was simply to return them, didn’t he tell her never to appear before him again?

Her head was full of question marks.

‘Don’t think too hard, just ask.’

It wasn’t a problem that could be solved by thinking alone. Anyway, since Nicholas had summoned her, it might be the last chance to see him legally. Rarien swallowed hard and knocked.

Knock knock.

“Come in.”

As soon as permission was granted, she carefully opened the door and entered the room. She saw Nicholas sitting at a mahogany desk, doing paperwork.

Even though someone had entered, he didn’t even acknowledge it, not taking his eyes off the documents.

It was behavior lacking in courtesy and consideration for the other person, but…

‘…He’s handsome.’

The damn rose-colored glasses were the problem. Rarien originally liked Nicholas’s professional appearance when he was devoted to his main job.

His sermons were always witty, excellent, and it moved everyone. When he prayed with his hands clasped, he looked as holy as a living angel.

Moreover, it was the first time Rarien had seen him doing paperwork. It was natural. No matter how much she liked him, she only watched from afar, and there was no reason to come into Nicholas’s office.

His intense gaze on the documents and the nonchalant way he put down the papers he had finished reading made Rarien’s heart race. He looked elegant and intellectual.

“What are you doing?”

“……”

“I asked, what are you doing?”

Nicholas asked casually, still keeping his gaze on the documents. Rarien, who had been completely absorbed in admiring his figure, answered a beat late.

“…Pardon?”

“Come over here and sit down, or stand. Whatever you’re comfortable with.”

Rarien, who had been standing stiffly by the door, followed his instructions and approached the desk, politely clasping her hands.

She was so nervous that her joints creaked like a broken marionette with every step. It seemed better to stand rather than sit.

Only when Rarien came right up to him did Nicholas raise his gaze. He seemed uninterested, but now he started staring intensely.

“We finally meet. I suppose you’ve been very busy.”

He was clearly being sarcastic, anyone could see.

Was he angry about the encounter at the training grounds after all? So it wasn’t just a hallucination.

If that was the case, it was unfair. Like last time at the annex, it wasn’t that she had followed Nicholas, but that Nicholas had come to where she was working.

But now, there was no point in arguing about it, and it probably wouldn’t make any difference anyway. Rarien let out a soft sigh and slowly raised her gaze to meet his eyes.

“Um, so my item…”

“What item?”

He suddenly raised an eyebrow, feigning ignorance.

“You clearly said earlier that you had my item and told me to come get it.”

“So what kind of item is it?”

“Pardon?”

“You need to speak precisely for me to confirm. It’s not my item, after all. I need to check first before I can return it.”

…So you’re saying it’s embarrassing to mention ‘that item’?

He specifically called for ‘Rarien Claude’. Why is he pretending not to know?

Regardless, Nicholas seemed determined to keep asking persistently until he got the answer he wanted, as if it wasn’t his problem.

“P-panties.”

“Ah, panties.”

When Rarien reluctantly answered, Nicholas responded indifferently.

“Yes. Your panties. Are they really important to you?”

“What? What do you mean?”

“I’ve been watching for a few days. You didn’t seem to have any intention of looking for them.”

Nicholas pulled something out of the drawer with an expressionless face. It was Rarien’s panties.

He dangled them on his finger, teasingly swinging them back and forth. Rarien’s face turned bright red.

“So I thought you wouldn’t mind if others saw them.”

“Th-that can’t be true. Please give them back quickly. Please.”

The more flustered she became, the more wickedly Nicholas swung them.

“Would someone who cares leave just this behind and run away?”

“Why did you take my panties in the first place? I went back to look for them in the morning…”

“You’re asking because you don’t know? I did it so no one else would see this indecent thing.”

“Anyway, please return them quickly.”

As Rarien reached out to snatch the panties, he quickly crumpled them into his palm.

“It’s not that easy.”

“P-please give them back…!”

“If I’ve found your item.”

He rose from his seat and stepped close to Rarien, bringing his face near hers.

“Shouldn’t you say ‘thank you for finding it’ first?”

“……”

Rarien, frozen by his suddenly close breath, swallowed hard.

“I heard you were an exemplary nun. But you seem to lack manners. Rarien Claude.”

“…Thank you for finding them.”

“That’s enough. I don’t need soulless gratitude, let’s just say you lack proper behavior.”

No matter how you looked at it, Nicholas didn’t seem to have any intention of returning the panties.

She had noticed his strange personality before, but since it was a situation that could have been sufficiently annoying from Nicholas’s perspective, she had been unsure. But the more she saw, the more certain she became.

Nicholas Reinhart was definitely prickly, arbitrary, twisted, and mischievous.

To begin with, barging into a chapel full of only nuns to return panties wasn’t normal, was it? He even tried to take them out and show them when Rarien didn’t understand. What if he had actually taken them out and shown them? The thought alone was dizzying.

He doesn’t seem like he’s going to give them back. What am I doing here right now?

After thoroughly scolding her, facing his unwavering golden eyes made her feel completely deflated.

“You’re not going to give them back anyway, are you?”

“Well. It depends on what you do.”

Nicholas neatly folded the panties and put them back in the drawer, locking it with a key.

“If you want them back, try consistently pleasing me.”

“Pleasing you?”

“Yes, isn’t that your specialty?”

He seemed to be referring to her service to Madam Rosalie and Sera Evotte.

It was true that Rarien was an expert in dealing with difficult people. From an expert’s perspective, Nicholas Reinhart seemed quite challenging.

Five stars out of five, no, six out of five. A truly ‘extreme difficult case’.

Oh my goodness. Was it because of her rose-colored glasses? The darkest place is under the candlestick, they say. Why hadn’t she noticed until now? Rarien had become so accustomed to dealing with difficult people that she had developed such a masochistic preference.

No, no. It wasn’t her fault.

It wasn’t apparent on the surface. Nicholas Reinhart always wore a bright smile on his holy face and was kind to everyone.

With such perfect camouflage, who wouldn’t be mistaken?

‘At least he’s damn handsome.’

Looking at that face, it was certainly… more than forgivable.

Just as certain facial features can be seen as charming points, because he was so perfect, even such flaws seemed attractive, as if meticulously calculated.

‘I must be crazy.’

Yes, the problem wasn’t Nicholas Reinhart, but her own intense one-sided love. Even if she denied it, the inertia of her heart kept bringing her back to Nicholas. It was a severe case.

What was he trying to do, keeping her standing there? He just kept being sarcastic without revealing what he wanted, making it hard to please him. It seemed like he was just being petulant. Not knowing his intentions made her more anxious.

Anyway, to deal with a difficult person, she needed to keep her wits about her.

Especially if it was the object of her one-sided love.

“What do you want from me?”

“A plausible answer.”

When she asked directly, a relatively simple answer came back.

“Just answer my questions sincerely. I’d prefer if you answered as honestly as possible. I have quite a few things I’m curious about regarding you.”

As she raised her gaze, she met his golden eyes. Given his track record so far, he’d probably keep pestering her until he got an answer. Rarien decided to cooperate willingly rather than suffer being harassed by him.

“…Alright. I’ll answer anything, so please ask.”

“Why are you avoiding me?”

“Pardon?”

Rarien’s eyes widened. It was because of the unexpected question that came out from the start.

“Is it your habit to make people repeat themselves? I asked why you’re avoiding me.”

“W-well… We promised, didn’t we? That I wouldn’t appear before Your Excellency after having s*x. You also told me not to follow you anymore…”

“That was for when the business was finished. I still have unfinished business.”

He was completely unpredictable.