It was the first time I had talked to a man this close, at a distance where my breath could almost touch his.
No, if I had to be specific, it wasn’t the first time in my entire life.
Duke Orobas, who wanted to commit adultery in front of the noble Saintess and show me his love affair with another man, had reached out to me.
Of course, the man who was panting with excitement couldn’t rape me, whose face was pale from the explicit love affair.
'The temple is watching!'
I barely managed to stop him using the power of that pitiful temple.
As if I would accuse him of being the devil if he did this again.
‘Even so, you’ll have to bear my child in the end, Saintess.’
The unpleasant breath of Duke Orobas as he licked his lips and retreated still came to mind clearly.
But Belled was different. Even though we were this close. Even though he approached me as if by surprise, he seemed to have a strange talent for digging into people.
Was this the devil?
“It seems you didn’t like it.”
At that moment, Belled took a step back. I instinctively reached out to him.
No, I barely swallowed the words that were about to leave without realizing it.
“It will take a lot of effort from now on. I am the one who must catch the Saintess’s eye.”
Was he speaking as a husband, or as a devil who must falsely claim his ‘innocence’?
“Then, if you have any questions, please tell me anytime. They will reach me through some route, so even if we don’t meet before the wedding, I will be able to answer them.”
His determined voice rang out.
“If it helps prove that we are not devils, even more so.”
I shook my head at that.
“Not yet.”
“It’s difficult. We have to prove it quickly.”
...With that last name?
I almost spat out an answer in absurdity.
Let’s calm down.
“...I will tell you when I have it.”
At that, Belled nodded.
“I understand. It won’t be long before we meet again.”
His eyes turned into the distance, somewhat displeased.
“Since they’re in such a hurry at the temple, I guess we can have our next conversation in a more private place.”
It was clear what he was talking about.
The first night after the wedding.
My face seemed to heat up slightly. Belled, looking at me, suddenly asked.
“I heard you lived as a Saintess... Beryl, do you know about the night?”
At the more direct words, my face eventually turned red as if it was about to burn. Belled let out a low laugh.
“I heard that the temple teaches restraint of desire, and I guess that’s true.”
I nodded as if trying to cool down my burning heat.
“But since you said you wanted to learn about desire...”
Belled said in a soft voice.
“On the first night, I’ll give you a night that even the Gods will forget.”
“...!”
It was a depraved and irreverent thing to say. It was too much to say in this continent where the temple’s influence spreads everywhere.
...This man, I wonder if he is trying to hide the fact that he is a devil.
“I have some things to take care of before that, so I will leave now. Yes.”
Belled lowered his head.
I watched him disappear for a while.
Although I did not know what it was, he seemed to be in a bit of a hurry, unlike when he came.
I soon found out why he had left.
***
The wedding hall was built outside the realm of night. A space like a temple filled with white light was set up under the space where the sunlight of the day shined.
It was entirely the temple’s opinion that the overall tone of the wedding hall should be white.
‘Is there a need to hide the Saintess’s divinity?’
The logic was astonishing. If that divinity could only be revealed in white, then it would be better if it were not there. I thought as I looked at the tiresome white light.
“What about the Duke?”
I asked from the carriage heading to the wedding hall. I had heard that it would still be used in a few days, but the decorations were all finished. I could guess what it would look like. Of course, it was. This was already the third wedding hosted by the temple.
Since all three weddings were decorated with the same decorations, it was obvious how carelessly they were preparing. It was obvious that they were not considering the characteristics of the three families I was marrying.
“The Duke is looking around the territory.”
Said the maid who was serving me. The maid’s name was Decarabia.
She looked to be about fifteen years old, and she was wearing a pitch-black parasol. Judging from the way she frowned and avoided the sunlight streaming in through the window, she seemed to hate the sun.
Did I bring them here for nothing?
But I shook my head.
Somehow, it seemed that the servants of this house should visit a wedding hall at least once.
Otherwise, they would definitely cause all sorts of trouble. They weren’t used to human customs. They might even be trampling on the virgin road.
If the Saintess wasn’t me, she would have been discovered as a demon long ago.
...Belled von Vine, that person seemed used to the etiquette of the human world.
These people... What on earth was he thinking when he let them out in front of me?
“It would have been nice if he had come with me. Too bad.”
I said something I didn’t mean. No, now that I said it, it felt a little regretful.
Didn’t he say that he would give me a night that even the Gods would forget?
She looked to be about fifteen years old, and she was wearing a pitch-black parasol. Judging from the way she frowned and avoided the sunlight streaming in through the window, she seemed to hate the sun.
Did I bring them here for nothing?
But I shook my head.
Somehow, it seemed that the servants of this house should visit a wedding hall at least once.
Otherwise, they would definitely cause all sorts of trouble. They weren’t used to human customs. They might even be trampling on the virgin road.
If the Saintess wasn’t me, she would have been discovered as a demon long ago.
...Belled von Vine, that person seemed used to the etiquette of the human world.
These people... What on earth was he thinking when he let them out in front of me?
“It would have been nice if he had come with me. Too bad.”
I said something I didn’t mean. No, now that I said it, it felt a little regretful.
Didn’t he say that he would give me a night that even the Gods would forget?
My face burned at the words that came to mind again.
Decarabia was silent for a moment at those words, then suddenly said.
“The Duke can’t deal with the monsters in the territory while the ceremony is taking place, so he went to deal with them in advance.”
Did I seem to suspect something?
Decarabia was silent for a moment at those words, then suddenly said.
“The Duke can’t deal with the monsters in the territory while the ceremony is taking place, so he went to deal with them in advance.”
Did I seem to suspect something?
While I scratched my cheek, Decarabia closed her mouth again.
Belled was a demon who managed the territory surprisingly well. Rather, Duke Yubar and Orobas seemed less interested in their territory.
“By the way, a dress arrived from the temple.”
No one in this castle seemed accustomed to the life of a servant, but Decarabia seemed especially so. For a maid who had forgotten that the bride’s wedding dress had arrived and was only now mentioning it, she seemed very confident.
Nevertheless, Decarabia seemed to think that she was acting well as a maid.
“You mean the wedding dress?”
Dekarabia nodded at my words.
“Yes.”
Even a short answer. At this point, you really don’t know who your superior is.
They say that demons have a clear hierarchy based on power.
I thought that Decarabia might be a strong demon. She never seemed accustomed to bending or accommodating to anyone.
“Should I show you?”
Decarabia asked abruptly. I blinked.
“Did you bring it?”
“Yes.”
Then she suddenly leaned over and took out a box from inside the chair. No matter how you looked at it, she was not familiar with maid work.
Click click.
Belled was a demon who managed the territory surprisingly well. Rather, Duke Yubar and Orobas seemed less interested in their territory.
“By the way, a dress arrived from the temple.”
No one in this castle seemed accustomed to the life of a servant, but Decarabia seemed especially so. For a maid who had forgotten that the bride’s wedding dress had arrived and was only now mentioning it, she seemed very confident.
Nevertheless, Decarabia seemed to think that she was acting well as a maid.
“You mean the wedding dress?”
Dekarabia nodded at my words.
“Yes.”
Even a short answer. At this point, you really don’t know who your superior is.
They say that demons have a clear hierarchy based on power.
I thought that Decarabia might be a strong demon. She never seemed accustomed to bending or accommodating to anyone.
“Should I show you?”
Decarabia asked abruptly. I blinked.
“Did you bring it?”
“Yes.”
Then she suddenly leaned over and took out a box from inside the chair. No matter how you looked at it, she was not familiar with maid work.
Click click.
There was a slight clanking sound as if something was inside, and a slightly crumpled box popped out from the space under the chair.
No matter how you looked at it, it didn’t look like a wedding dress was neatly arranged. I pretended not to feel awkward and accepted the box as naturally as possible.
Decarabia stared at me quietly.
“...”
Oh, me opening it?
I thought I had gotten used to it, but it was still difficult to deal with a demon maid without feeling awkward.
This person is human, human.
I tried to think that as I opened the box.
And I lifted up the familiar dress. For a moment, boredom crossed my face.
“Ah...”
This dress again. This dress, which I had worn at the previous two weddings, had almost no decoration.
It was a dress with extremely simple decorations that made it hard to believe it was a wedding dress. It didn’t even have any special decorations.
If it weren’t for the plain veil, I wouldn’t have known it was a dress.
“Do you like it?”
Decarabia asked. I shook my head. I shook my head unconsciously and hesitated, but eventually shook it again. Definitely.
“No.”
No matter how you looked at it, it didn’t look like a wedding dress was neatly arranged. I pretended not to feel awkward and accepted the box as naturally as possible.
Decarabia stared at me quietly.
“...”
Oh, me opening it?
I thought I had gotten used to it, but it was still difficult to deal with a demon maid without feeling awkward.
This person is human, human.
I tried to think that as I opened the box.
And I lifted up the familiar dress. For a moment, boredom crossed my face.
“Ah...”
This dress again. This dress, which I had worn at the previous two weddings, had almost no decoration.
It was a dress with extremely simple decorations that made it hard to believe it was a wedding dress. It didn’t even have any special decorations.
If it weren’t for the plain veil, I wouldn’t have known it was a dress.
“Do you like it?”
Decarabia asked. I shook my head. I shook my head unconsciously and hesitated, but eventually shook it again. Definitely.
“No.”
It was a dress that seemed to have the voices of the priests saying, “A saint should avoid extravagance.”
Decarabia bent down again. And unlike before, she carefully took out the box in a completely separate space. It was treated completely differently from the wrinkled wedding dress box from the temple. I wondered why.
“The Duke prepared it for you. Wear it if you want.”
“...The Duke?”
It must have been because it was a dress prepared by Belled that she had kept the box so carefully. They say that demons are strict about hierarchy, and it seems to be true. Seeing how even the items he sent were kept so meticulously.
Decarabia neatly opened the box and showed me the dress. What about the devil's dress? I thought, and my eyes widened without me knowing it.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment