“Episode 50”
“I never had any intention of actually holding a purity trial. Originally, after the sacred power verification, I wanted to promptly suggest revealing that woman’s identity… But Lucian completely ruined that with his crazy actions. I know. It’s more of a headache for you. But, think about it. If I participate in a purity trial, high-ranking temple priests will flock as judges, and then the Pope of the Old Faith will have a better pretext to intervene. Since my purity trial is also a doctrinal trial, despite the divisions within the church over the years, we cannot ignore the testimony of the true Pope. If it comes to a real sacred trial for the saint…”
“I know. What I’m saying is, I don’t like the idea of you being judged by those fools’ discretion.”
With a soft laugh, his wife’s words echoed in his ears, and he growled with a mixture of disbelief, pain, and anger, as if he couldn’t believe the situation had come to this.
“Yeah, in the end, we’ll win. But it’s miserable. It’s damn miserable. If I could just overturn your trial and give that Lucian kid a thorough shake-up, it would be perfect.”
“Haha! What are you going to do by shaking him up?”
“I’ll just vigorously scrub his empty brain to make it a mess. It seems more satisfying that way.”
After kissing her cheek where the smile lingered, Evan faintly smiled in return.
Yuliana gently caressed her husband’s cheek, where the smile lingered faintly, just like hers.
Carefully, she said, stroking his sharp and firm jaw, “Aren’t you worried?”
“About what?”
“That when I stand trial for purity, the underlings of the noble families might make a fuss. I’m worried about that. Of course, you wouldn’t worry about that kind of thing.”
“If I were worried about that, I wouldn’t have said there’s a gateway to the abyss in our lake. And Yuliana, your safety is more precious to me than anything else. I didn’t want to thwart the purity trial for the sake of the Viscount family’s security.”
Evan whispered sadly.
He wanted to show his sincerity even if it meant tearing out his heart. And without realizing it, he tightly embraced his wife, who had an anxious expression for a moment.
And after a moment of separation, Evan kissed the back of Yuliana’s hand.
Half relieved and half moved to the point of being overwhelmed, Yuliana sniffled softly. Feeling like tears might come out any moment, she deliberately turned the conversation lightly.
“By the way, I heard that a year ago during the barbarian invasion, you saved the heretics. Was the Pope there at the time? People are spreading all sorts of rumors about you, and I felt embarrassed not knowing anything. Tell me.”
“What rumors? War is just slashing and stabbing, dirty— chaos.”
Evan spoke nonchalantly, recounting his deeds. When he tried to turn the conversation, Yuliana grumbled.
“No matter how much the servants gossip, it was embarrassing not to know anything. Well, that Anna came forward, saying, ‘Milady! The Lord braved through a snowstorm and killed the barbarian shamans manipulating the mines, saving the heretics inside who were being drained of sacred power…’ and so on!”
Yuliana giggled as she exaggeratedly whispered ‘and so on’. Listening to her husband’s gloomy response, she replied.
“The lieutenant was almost dying at that time. That stupid lieutenant got his shoulder injured by the mines. It was lucky it was cold that day. The poison spread less on cold days.”
“Oh my.”
Yuliana interjected with an exaggerated attitude. It seemed like she was talking about the young man who had come to the house a few days ago with a pile of documents.
He had revealed his name as Ross and was quite talkative. He talked about how terrible or how cunning the duke was, even mentioning their recent campaign where he and the duke went out together.
Perhaps that was why. Even amidst the complicated situation, the duke’s anecdotes were popular among the servants. After the enigmatic Ross left, the anecdotes spread and eventually reached Yuliana’s ears.
“And tonight, Evan said, looking at his wife clinging to him, asking for a more vivid anecdote. If Yuliana could enjoy herself a little more with such trivial stories from the past, he could go on expeditions hundreds of times over.
“… Ross was groaning about dying, and the knights were falling further behind in the cold… I was a bit angry at that time. Plus, some of the Old Faith believers were captured by the dark mages. And since the sacred power of the believers was fueling the dark mages, it was urgent to rescue them first. At the same time, it seemed like killing those dark mages who were the eyes of the barbarian army approaching rapidly would help the situation progress. So I organized a group of elite soldiers and attempted infiltration.”
“Oh.”
Yuliana slapped Evan’s chest firmly and then leaned in, raising her head to look into his eyes mischievously.
Listening to her laughter, Evan briefly kissed Yuliana’s lips. As she playfully avoided his lips, she leaned her face against Evan’s chest.
After Evan sighed inwardly as if in agony, he continued speaking. At the same time, her toes gently pressed against his instep.
“… And I succeeded in the infiltration, rescuing the Pope among the Old Faith believers.”
Yuliana smirked.
“… Seems like you left out something in between.”
“Did I?”
“Well, there’s always something, right? The epic tale of a heroic battle, the struggle against the blizzard, defeating the sinister mages…”
“If I were a bard, maybe, but I’m a knight. Knights aren’t good with words like that.”
“But your lieutenant seemed quite eloquent?”
“He’s a disgrace to knights.”
“…I think I understand why Lieutenant Ross admires you and gives such high praise.”
After finishing her sentence, Yuliana kissed her husband’s lips as she had done before.
“But, I prefer bad guys.”
“…Didn’t you say you would yield to me last time?”
“Ah. Did I say that?”
Yuliana giggled again, then stood up straight, placing her hands on her hips.
When Evan gently pulled her down by the shoulder, Yuliana’s long hair covered Evan’s face like curtains. Yuliana moved her hair over her shoulder to meet his gaze, slowly kissed his cheek to comfort him, and planted a kiss on his cheek.
Partly to comfort his unease, partly to avoid revealing her own anxiety, Yuliana chose to distract Evan by playfully pulling him closer and planting kisses on his cheeks and neck.
As Evan accepted her kisses, he raised his arm and pulled her closer, burying his face in her shoulder. Yuliana realized once again that Evan was worried she might get hurt during the purity trial.
But Yuliana wasn’t worried about winning the trial anymore. If things went according to plan, they would definitely win.
Before worrying about the trial, she was afraid of the unknown. Not knowing is often frightening.
Yuliana cunningly deceived her husband to prevent him from realizing her anxiety about the trial. And when even that dilemma became unbearable, she chose Evan as a sweet refuge.
She held Evan’s face buried in her shoulder. Then, she held her husband’s slightly rough lips and deeply swallowed them.
It was a long kiss befitting the long night.
