* * *
“Don’t do it!”
Dana, startled, grabbed his wrist. He looked as if he would pull the string at any moment, so she quickly blurted out, “Are you insane?”
Rumie stared down at her intently. Then, he smiled sweetly. “I don’t know. How do I look?”
How did he look? What kind of shameless question was that?!
“You obviously look insane, so stop. Right now. Let go of my ribbon.”
“…Really?”
Had he finally come to his senses?
“Alright.” Rumie nodded and released her ribbon.
Dana sighed in relief. Thankfully, he was willing to listen. Just as she thought like that—
“…!”
Dana’s body was suddenly lifted into the air. Rumie had picked her up.
“Brother!”
What the hell is he doing?!
Without a word, he strode forward. It was toward the bed.
“What are you doing?!”
Thud! She was tossed onto the bed. Dana tried to get up immediately, but Rumie climbed on top of her.
He must be crazy! Dana hurriedly pushed against his chest. But the muscles and bones beneath her hands were too firm, too solid. It made her momentarily stunned. Still, she spoke calmly.
“You can’t do this.”
“I know.” His gaze flickered dangerously. Rumie ran a hand through his silver hair and spoke in a slow, deliberate manner. “I know very well that I shouldn’t be doing this, Dana.”
“…”
“And I also know that I must look completely crazy.”
“…”
“But I’m getting bored. How about telling me something I don’t know?”
At that moment, Dana understood. It was painfully obvious. This wasn’t just about desire. Rumie hated her.
Why/? The fundamental question resurfaced. Why on earth? Why did Rumie hate her?
“Move.”
Whatever the reason, it didn’t matter.
Dana reached for the gun strapped to her thigh and aimed it at him, her expression resolute. “Move, Rumie.”
Rumie laughed out loud. Then, he leaned forward and pressed his forehead against the barrel of the gun.
“Shoot.”
He smiled beautifully, urging her.
“Hurry up.”
He pressed his forehead harder against the gun.
“Shoot me already.”
“…”
Madman.
Before she could react, Rumie swiftly snatched the gun from her hands. “Next time, don’t bother with a warning. Just pull the trigger right away, Dana.” He grinned. “The moment your aim is read, you’ve already lost.”
The ridiculous advice made her blood boil. And then—
“…!”
Dana gasped in shock. It was because Rumie lowered his body. Their legs entwined. And—
“W-Wait.”
Their hips aligned perfectly. The hot, heavy weight pressing against the fabric sent a jolt through her. Her toes curled involuntarily.
“What do you think you’re doing?!”
“Calm down, Dana. I’m not doing anything.” He smiled so gently—so kindly. “I don’t have a hobby of forcing women who say no.”
Then, as if to soothe her, he moved his hips ever so slightly. A wave of electricity shot through her. Dana’s vision blurred for a moment.
“I’m just trying to help you relax.”
His soft, tender voice spilled into her ears. Chills crept up the back of her neck.
“Hmm? Just relax.”
It felt as if a massive flame had engulfed her. The unnatural heat that surged through her body made her stutter.
“W-Wait, Brother.”
“Brother.” As if the word annoyed him, Rumie muttered it under his breath. Then, he spoke again, his voice dripping with mockery. “Yeah, yeah, my dear little sister.” Feigning warmth yet laced with sarcasm, Rumie patted her head. “Your ‘brother’ is right here.”
Rumie then pressed against her again. For once, then once more. Each slow movement sent sharp pleasure ripping through her body. Her lips parted involuntarily. It was a shiver that felt like it was cutting through her body, almost violent.
To think that such pleasure could come from just this much contact. It was an unbelievable level of sensitivity. But that wasn’t all. Just a moment ago, she was filled with defiance and resistance—but those feelings were vanishing in an instant as if something had forcibly extinguished them.
No.
Dana recognized it clearly. This wasn’t her. This wasn’t normal. This wasn’t—
“Bless us so that we may conceive a new life today as well.”
Right. That ceremony. Something about it had felt… wrong.
“May many new lives be conceived tonight under the blessing of the Goddess Daiana.”
Could it be some kind of ritual? Had witnessing the ceremony affected her body?
Yes. This isn’t me. Through the feverish haze, Dana reached a conclusion. There was no way she would react like this under normal circumstances. She wouldn’t let herself get swept away.
“Move.”
Dana gathered the fragments of her scattered mind and took back the gun. Click. She pulled the trigger slightly, loading the bullet. Then, she aimed with genuine intent.
“Move, Rumie Windsor.”
“…”
There was no helping with her quickened breath.
Dana knew it. If he could read where she was aiming, she’d already failed. And as expected, Rumie smirked as if finding her ridiculous. But luckily, he didn’t seem interested in pushing things further. He simply raised his hands in mock surrender and backed away.
Dana hurriedly scrambled out from beneath him. As she crawled off the bed—
“…!”
Snap. Rumie grabbed her ankle.
What the hell?!
“Oh, sorry. My bad. Reflex.” He laughed playfully behind her.
Dana couldn’t hold it in anymore.
“You b*stard.”
“Yeah, you caught me. What a shame.” Rumie chuckled. He spoke like it was a joke— But his voice carried a deep, undeniable hunger.
“One last thing, Dana. Don’t ever come to my room at night again.” As she walked away without looking back, he added, “Because next time, I won’t let you go so easily.”
* * *
That night, Dana left Rumie’s room and returned to her own room. But for some reason, the fire that had ignited refused to go out. In other words, she wasn’t in a normal state.
Something was definitely different from usual.
The ceremony was suspicious. It hadn’t been an outright depraved ritual like the ones in Kaltusa— But it might have been a ceremony designed to induce desire.
Of course. That’s the Daiana Church’s virtue, after all…
Dana made up her mind. She would never go near another ceremony again. Just thinking about last night’s burning heat made her shudder. And that was just from overhearing the ritual. What if she had stayed for the whole thing…?
It was then.
“La-Lady Danae?”
Dana’s head snapped up. Jane was staring at her curiously.
“A-Are you alright?”
“Ah, yes. Sorry.” She had been lost in thought.
Jane smiled, looking pleased. “T-Thank you, for spending time, w-with me today.”
“There’s nothing to thank me for.”
Jane had invited her to explore the ancient priests’ tombs—the ruins. Dana readily accepted immediately. It was because she had things she needed to find out.
“Lady Jane, did you attend the ceremony last night?”
“Y-Yes. I did.” Jane’s voice was shy. “I hope many n-new lives, were c-conceived, last night.”
“…”
“I-I want, to have a n-new life, soon too. T-That’s Daiana’s will. I-It’s also the path for the new world…”
As expected, yesterday’s ceremony was clearly a ritual to invoke the birth of life. It was designed to optimize the bodies of the believers for the act of creating a new life. And it seems like this ritual is common among the followers of the Daiana Church.
Dana barely suppressed a sigh. The more she peeled back the layers of this religion, the stranger it became. But more importantly— If Jane had attended the ceremony last night, she must have seen the priest leading it.
The red-haired girl who looked exactly like Danae. The girl who was undoubtedly related to Danae. Jane must have seen her too. Then why didn’t she say anything? If Danae had a sister, shouldn’t Jane have at least mentioned it? At the very least, she could have mentioned seeing a priest who looks just like her. Was there a reason she wasn’t saying anything…?
“O-O-Oh my!” Jane suddenly gasped dramatically.
Dana stopped in her tracks.
“Lo-Lord Rumie!”
For a moment, Dana felt like her brain froze.
Rumie was approaching from the opposite side. Unlike the crazed man she had encountered the night before, he now looked like a perfect gentleman, with every button neatly fastened.
“I-Isn’t he so handsome? I-I’m so jealous. H-Having such a person as your cousin, h-how nice it must be.”
A wave of disgust rose in Dana’s throat. A blessing? Did she even know what that man did to me last night? Not that it mattered. Even if she said anything, no one would believe her. Rumie’s perfect and flawless image was just that convincing. Not just now but always.
I’m pissed.
Last night, she was angry at him for sweeping her into a whirlwind of intense passion with just a few movements. And what infuriated her even more was herself for letting herself be swept away easily. Even if it was because of the influence of the ceremony, she still couldn’t help but be angry.
Rumie Windsor. You heat-crazed b*stard.
She couldn’t believe she had once thought of him as a kind, gentle older brother. Who would have thought there was such a face beneath that mask!
“Fancy meeting you here. I hope you’re having a good day under Goddess Daiana’s blessing.”
Rumie and the priest standing next to him stopped. Was it Nathelion, the high priest?
The man in charge of this island clasped his hands together in greeting. “May your day be filled with the grace of the Goddess Daiana.” And then, he continued. “There will be a special ceremony at dawn tomorrow. I would like to extend an invitation to you all.”
“A special ceremony?”
The regular ceremonies were already suspicious enough— And now they were having a special one? Dana was already suspicious of what they might do.
“Lord Rumie will be attending as well.”
What? Dana turned to Rumie.
Rumie responded with a bright smile. “Want to come with me, Dana?”
Hi, now you can purchase 10 advance chapters in here.
Tell the commissar, we need promethium.
A LOT oh promethium.