Distant sensations hit my mind like a tidal wave, and his breath reached the depths of my throat.
I couldnât think of anything now. Iâm just kissing a man who makes my heart race.
Our rough breaths deeply intertwined, yearning for each other. My fingertips and toes tingled as if there was an electric shock, and my heart was beating like crazy.
Every time I flinched, he gently ran his hand around my neck. As if telling me not to run away, his hard chest was in contact with my body.
My breathing, which often quickened for I couldnât control it, sometimes sounded like a moan. Yet he didnât look at me and kissed me deeper. It seemed that he was rather stimulated by my voice.
âHaa⦠Haaâ¦â
After a long kiss, he parted his lips.
I was out of breath, just like after running.
Cassâ red lips were damp.
I watched him as if I was bewitched.
ââ¦I thought it was impossible.â
He looked at me with dark eyes and said.
âI like you.â
A low voice pierced my chest.
Once again, he spoke.
âI like you. Saintess.â
That deep voice pierced my heart.
I looked at him for a while, not knowing how to answer. Time seemed to flow only around us.
Wondering what to say to him, it felt like my head was empty. The warmth that fills my heart just made me realize that Iâm grateful for this moment. And just then, something in my body rang with a giggling sound.
***
Reihausd prayed in a reverent manner for the first time in a while, yet it was noisy inside him.
âIt seems that she danced with the Marquis at the Star Flower Festival. They seem to be getting along well.â
âI wish I hadnât listened.â
Reihausdâs golden eyes were locked in a bitter aura.
He knew that Arielâs gaze wasnât directed at him. No matter how much he yearns for her, the only thing that comes back is a plain gaze. Every time that happened, his greed was strong inside.
If she becomes another manâs woman⦠Can he let Ariel go?
Suddenly thinking about the iron bars, Reihausd shook his head.
Knowing that he couldnât even trap a personâs heart in that way, why⦠are these blasphemous thoughts creeping in?
He walked down the long hallway to his bedroom. And that was when he opened the door.
He suddenly became obscured by a thick fog, making it difficult to tell what was in front of him.
ââ¦!â
Reihausd hurriedly drew his sword and looked around.
After a while, when the fog dissipated, he found himself completely within this space.
âHere isâ¦â
When the fog lifted, a huge iron cage was visible. Inside, like an animal cage, a boy was on a leash like a dog.
Disheveled blonde hair and slightly hazy golden eyes. His skinny body was full of scars from the whip.
However, even the miserable appearance couldnât cover the boyâs beauty. The boy was like a little fairy in a cage. And in front of the iron window, a man was sitting on an ornate chair.
He was a general in exotic clothes. His skin was dark and his eyes were burning with greed.
âThe fun of raising something beautiful and ferociousâ¦â
A dry voice escaped from his lips.
âDo you know that youâre so strong that you canât get out of it?â
Then the boy in the cage glared at him with hostile eyes.
âDo you hate me?â
The boy didnât answer and the man continued.
âYes. You must hate me And Iâ¦â
There was a fierce glare in the boyâs eyes.
Bend down to see the boy from a closer distance, the man continued.
âI like those eyes of yours. When I look into your eyes, my blood boils. Thatâs why I always end up killing a servant or two every time I leave here.â
The man laughed like a snake.
âSo, grow up. Iâm holding back for the day I destroy you.â
He was aware of his hobby of abusing and killing slaves. He especially liked beautiful slaves. Then he took out the dagger from his chest and nicked it a hand below his eye level.
âIâll take you out of there when youâre this tall.â
Soon after, the man turned around and began to walk away at a leisurely pace.
After the man disappeared, Reihausd stepped forward as if possessed step by step in front of the barricade.
His eyebrows were stiff, and his pupils were constantly shaking.
Reihausd looked at his old self sitting in the cage.
The village where he lived was taken over by foreign troops, and all his relatives were sold into slavery. And he himself was taken prisoner and locked up in a dark cage.
ââ¦â
The boyâs gaze was on the scratch the general had made earlier.
Anger, despair, and fear all came together and swarmed before the boyâs eyes. The boy spread his palms and covered his face.
Reihausd knew what happened after that.
When he had grown exactly that height, he was called before the general, and he vividly heard the generalâs painful voice before entering his office.
His subordinate betrayed and assassinated the general. The country was overturned and incorporated into the Empire, becoming part of the Illide.
Reihausd, who had nowhere to go, was entrusted to the temple, and it was some time later that his dazzling ability as a priest was revealed. Also, while learning the sword, he reached the level of sword expert in swordsmanship with his outstanding talent.
âHaâ¦â
He was afraid whether time passed or not. Even the beauty that the clan was proud of was considered terrible.
Reihausd put his sword into the scabbard. Then he raised his hand and touched his forehead.
He could feel the gaze of the boy trapped inside the bars.
âCome on, letâs stay together. This is where we belong.â
He seemed to hear the boyâs hallucinations.
And then he heard a womanâs voice.
âThis is your inner self.â
Reihausd saw the shadow of a woman approaching him.
âYou, who are inside the cage, must have always longed for the outside.â
âCamillaâ¦â
âYou were afraid to go out, yet you wanted to. Even though you were afraid of himâ¦â
Camillaâs face was pale in a black dress, the corners of her red lips raised.
ââ¦You were in awe of him.â
His eyebrows hardened at her words.
âYou have longed for his strength, his absolute superiority. Thatâs right. You wanted to be that man you hated.â
ââ¦â
Darkness flashed in Reihausdâs gold eyes.
âPut what you want in a cage, and do as you please.â
Camilla pursed her cold lips as Reihausd stared at her, as if he wanted to kill her..
âI will help you. Reihausd.â
Reihausdâs eyes shook violently.
âYou like Ariel. Now youâre standing outside the cage.â
Camilla continued her words as she looked at his eyes, which were getting darker.
âDonât hesitate to take what you want and put it in your prison. Then no one will take it away.â
Camilla stepped in front of Reihausd and lifted his chin with her index finger.
Itâs such a beautiful face that she was bewitched by looking at him again. But she doesnât need that anymore. Whatâs important now isâ¦
âI will make your wish come true, so give me the statue.â
The periodic burning pain in her heart was so intense that she sometimes dreamed of death.
She would have died long ago if Bellatrix hadnât sustained her by consuming her divinity.
What she needs now is the icon left by Raid.
She was sure that the temple, which thought she was dead, would stupidly put the item on display, that is, certainly inside the temple.
âIf I regain my physical condition, I will have a chance to recover.â
One use of Bellatrixâs powers was to bring up wounds from the past and attack his mind.
âHurry up.â
After a while, Reihausdâs mouth opened.
But from his lips came the exact opposite of what Camilla expected.
âHow lame.â
Camillaâs eyebrows twitched.
With the power of the God of Lies, she drew out the strongest trauma in his heart.
Howeverâ¦
âLame, you said?â
And at that moment, Reihausdâs hand gripped Camillaâs neck.
His murderous eyes, which didnât suit the bright gold, clamped her down.
âYes. Itâs so boring, I canât stand it.â
ââ¦!â
Reihausdâs golden eyes were tinged with a muddy light.
Camilla couldnât figure out what was wrong with him.
âCompared to the paradise I imagined in my head, itâs very shabby. I canât even see the right tools in such a flimsy prison.â
ââ¦What? what?â
She was taken aback.
Trauma is bound to lose control the moment itâs shown again.
âI had memories like that. But itâs enough to transcend the nightmare. With a stronger desire. I⦠learned how to do it.â
Reihausdâs beautiful golden eyes were filled with what could be called madness.
Well, being imprisoned by the general wasnât a very good memory. But now those memories didnât matter to him.
The general was dead, and Reihausd dug up his coffin and hung the skeletal body upside down in a dungeon in the valley. Although it wasnât a priestly way to humiliate the dead.
He also found the generalâs hidden wealth and made it his own.
âCoughâ¦â
Camilla looked at Reihausd in disbelief.
His lips twitched.
He was grand to himself when he was young, but now that he has transcended that, he was an insignificant barricade.
âListen straight. There wonât be another one, but if you want to shake my mind even a little, prepare at least â â â and â â â â and â â â .â
And at that moment, Camilla felt her heart burn.
âOf course, even â â who does â â will be disappointed if you, the insignificant you, are intrusive⦠In fact, even if I had things, it would be of no use.â
[The God of Lies, Bellatrix, feels deeply ashamed for the extremely blatant and profane language.]
[The God of Lies, Bellatrix, vomits blood.]
Bellatrix was as weak as she could be because she was focusing all her energy on Camilla now.
âF*ck. this bastard⦠What is this bastard doing?â
Seeing Reihausd spit out nonsensical shameless things without blushing, Camilla felt deeply flustered.
How could such a thing come out of such a clear face as if a male god had descended?
Bellatrixâs divinity, which had weakened, was being affected.
âIt canât go on like thisâ¦â
Camilla concentrated Bellatrixâs power into her hands and managed to shake off Reyhath.
âDie!â
Reihausd took a few steps back after being hit by Bellatrixâs mighty blow.
Now that this is the case, she will take the statue back even by overpowering and threatening Reihausd. It was time for Bellatrix to change her plans and gather power back into her hands.
The space started shaking.
It was a space built with the power of a God, but the moment she thought this couldnât be the case, Camilla was thrown out of the window by a strong force.
It seemed like he could heard a, kyuu㠡sound.
âAre you okay? Reihausd?â