It was too sweet a temptation to refuse.
Belled whispered repeatedly.
If you join me, I will give you everything, as one who knows desire.
"...Belled.”
But I couldn’t believe those words.
I had clearly thought that if I asked to join hands, they would doubt me, but wasn’t the situation completely the opposite?
What on earth is Vine lacking that he’s suggesting this to me?
Do you want to prove that you’re not a devil? Then wouldn’t it be better to hide it thoroughly?
Why did you insist on taking on the risk of being a Saintess? The offer was so sweet that I was suspicious.
Of course, humans lie a lot, but aren’t devils especially famous?
They said that you don’t make promises with devils. Everyone, not just the temple, said the same thing.
‘They pretend to keep their promises at first. But they steal important things from people in unexpected places, and they laugh while making them despair.’
‘If you make a deal with a devil, you’ll definitely lose something.’
I had heard that countless times, so I couldn’t help but doubt it. It was something I had heard more often from Yubar, who was a devil worshiper and tried to befriend the devils. Even Yunar, who worshipped the devils, was careful when dealing with them, so was it okay to join hands with the devil?
And now, when I hadn’t even properly examined the situation as if I had been taken by surprise?
“Why... are you doing this in Vine? You have the power.”
There must have been many ways to coax or threaten me, so why?
Belled laughed at those words.
“I didn’t know I would do this.”
But when we were this close. He buried his head in my shoulder and said,
“The emotions that flow from you are driving me crazy.”
“...If it’s emotions,”
“The negative emotions you have. Fear, sadness, betrayal. They’re such an attractive meal for the devil.”
He chuckled softly.
“I thought you were coveting them.”
That’s all I thought. He lifted his head slightly and let out a short sigh.
Strange. All devils covet them.
He muttered so lowly, kissing my hair and whispering,
“Strangely, I think of you, and even though I know it’s because of emotional energy when other guys see you, I want to take their eyes away.”
“....!”
I felt a cold murderous aura from him. It was an intense energy that stimulated my whole body even though it wasn’t directed at me.
“I need to check if I’m like this because of my possessiveness.”
He met my gaze again. His deep, dark green eyes were demanding an answer from me.
An answer that I wanted.
“So please stay here. I’ll give you whatever you want. Don’t you want revenge?”
To those who betrayed you. He held out his hand.
“Giving you what you want as if you had it, then taking it away and dropping you to the ground. Making you feel deep despair. That’s what the devil specializes in.”
Don’t you want to live a better life, not just survive, with those who understand your desires?
It was the devil’s whisper. It was so suspicious that I wondered where the lies were in those words.
An offer that seemed sweet and not bitter at all.
“...!”
Belled’s hand pulled me a little closer.
“Now, you don’t have to think too deeply. Choose the path that will make you happy.”
His lips left a warm impression on my forehead. He, who seemed to be leaving, left a warm impression on my nose. Then, he made a hot path through my cheek, shoulder, and collarbone.
I exhaled, feeling the dark mark on my collarbone. As if he had no intention of watching, the one who immediately held my breath and pushed forward was that dangerous demon. A demon that I absolutely should not trust.
But...
“...”
The kiss that was so deep that my legs gave out, refused to allow me to think any further.
“You can’t do this in a temple, right?”
Are you going to go back to a temple that doesn’t even let you say what you want to say, or not?
The man’s hand that was holding the back of my head felt firm.
He buried his lips on my collarbone, where the heat had not yet completely disappeared, and explored it a little more boldly.
Outside, the cold air had caused my clothes to slip in places they shouldn't have. I couldn't fix my disheveled appearance.
People might come.
Fortunately, there wasn’t a single bird in the place where birds were supposed to sit, chirp, and rest. In a place where there was no one watching.
But I thought, as I exhaled in anxiety that someone might come.
Something that shouldn’t be done outdoors.
Something that shouldn’t be done at all once you enter the temple.
That was what I was doing. It felt strange that I felt satisfied with that fact, that I felt even more pleasure.
However, unlike before, a sense of liberation, like I had escaped a stuffy box, enveloped me.
“... !”
He dug deeper. Instead of cold air, his heat seeped into the hem of my clothes that were disheveled in his hands.
“... !”
But...
“...”
The kiss that was so deep that my legs gave out, refused to allow me to think any further.
“You can’t do this in a temple, right?”
Are you going to go back to a temple that doesn’t even let you say what you want to say, or not?
The man’s hand that was holding the back of my head felt firm.
He buried his lips on my collarbone, where the heat had not yet completely disappeared, and explored it a little more boldly.
Outside, the cold air had caused my clothes to slip in places they shouldn't have. I couldn't fix my disheveled appearance.
People might come.
Fortunately, there wasn’t a single bird in the place where birds were supposed to sit, chirp, and rest. In a place where there was no one watching.
But I thought, as I exhaled in anxiety that someone might come.
Something that shouldn’t be done outdoors.
Something that shouldn’t be done at all once you enter the temple.
That was what I was doing. It felt strange that I felt satisfied with that fact, that I felt even more pleasure.
However, unlike before, a sense of liberation, like I had escaped a stuffy box, enveloped me.
“... !”
He dug deeper. Instead of cold air, his heat seeped into the hem of my clothes that were disheveled in his hands.
“... !”
I unconsciously wrapped my arms around his waist. A humid heat lingered between the two of us who were even closer together.
“Just nod once.”
I want what you want.
I couldn’t refuse his words.
The more I tried to doubt and think, the more his movements came closer and paralyzed my mind.
Only one thought lingered in my head, which had turned pale.
My plan was already discovered.
His words were the devil’s whispers, so if he were to take something from me like the devil would.
However, if they were the ones who kept what they said, as the rumors about the devil said. If I could have only what he said, I would.
“...Yes.”
I would make a choice for myself.
“I will help the devil and open the gates of hell.”
***
He lifted Beryl up and hugged her deeply as if he could give her more than he had promised.
“...!”
Then, wrapping her clothes, which had become disheveled in the heated time, in his outer garment, he lifted her up, her strength draining, and led her out into the hallway.
“From now on, I will tell Vine and all the devils beyond the gates of hell.”
At his words, Decarabia and Ronove, who had appeared before, bowed their heads.
Next to them, Helbas, the bird that had carried Beryl’s letter earlier, flew in and sat on Decarabia’s shoulder.
“Saintess Beryl will open the gates of hell during the opening ceremony.”
At those words, Decarabia and Ronove opened their eyes wide.
“I also declare that Beryl von Vine has become the wife of Archduke Belled.”
It meant that she was no longer a mere human. Those words immediately caused great waves in the demon world.
***
“The Saintess said that she would open the gates of hell?”
Upon hearing the story, Naberus muttered in disbelief as he slammed his sword into the ground. It dug halfway through the ground as if it were a black pudding and stopped.
“Isn’t she not the Saintess?”
“If that were the case, wouldn’t Lord Belled have given her a different promise?”
A demon spoke cautiously next to him.
He was a demon of a much lower rank than Naberus, so he was overjoyed at the mere opportunity to talk to General Naberus.
“Of course.”
Naberus folded his arms and tilted his head, regardless of whether the demon next to him was happy or not.
“Isn’t there something else on her mind?”
Several demons around him suspected the Saintess.
It was a natural suspicion. Wasn’t the temple originally a place that cursed and banished from the human world those who were not demons but magicians?
So the Saintess, who was basically the head of the temple, took the devil’s side? It was ridiculous, considering the other Saintess candidates who had been called by the temple since they were around ten years old and had been brainwashed into believing in God.
However.
“If the devil in the mind’s eye saw it that way, then it must be right.”
“Then if the Saintess declares that we are not demons, wouldn’t there be less suspicion than before?”
“Not only that, it would be easier to spread out to each territory in the name of Vine.”
Most of the demons, except for Naberus and a few others, fully supported Belled’s choice, thinking that this would be helpful to the demons.
“Then wouldn’t it be easy to ‘go out’ to do business?”
“Of course.”
A small cheer came from the demons talking like that.
The negative emotions of humans that the demons had to refine with magic. Up until now, they had only been able to obtain them in places like chaotic battlefields.
But what if, with this incident, the Saintess could cover up the fact that she had pointed out the demons by saying, "I think there was a misunderstanding because I've been dealing with monsters in the border for a long time and haven't been active outside," and start external activities?
What if, as a result, reliable forces of Vine who have been "certified by the Saintess as not being demons" could be planted throughout the empire?
Although the 'sales' that gather negative emotional energy cannot be done under the name of Vine, the mere presence of Vine's forces in various places will make sales easier.
The lack of a magical power supply was already a problem recently. In addition...
"We don't have to act anymore, right?"
"Aren't you going to reveal that you're a demon anyway?"
The cheers among the demons grew louder.
There was only one problem.
"... But."
Decarabia, who had told the demons, thought of Beryl, who was probably lying in the bedroom by now.
The human bride, who was half asleep, breathing hard, was really...
"... Won't she run away from here?"
Decarabia eventually started to get serious when she saw the demons who were excited, running across the ceiling as if the world had turned upside down, repeatedly transforming into animals and returning to humans, jumping up and down, high-fiving the transformed animals, and liking them.
Even to the demons, it was a sight that was hideous, but to humans, it was an unfathomable sight.
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