“Heliod.”
A melodious voice pierced the air around us. We both turned our heads at the same time. And I was stunned.
“So here you are.”
Standing there was a tall man with short blonde hair that looked like it had been sculpted by the gods themselves. He was draped in long white fabric that was wrapped around his body, leaving some areas of his skin exposed, showing off his muscles.
Oh, my God.
“Lord Seisior…?”
What on earth is he wearing? Is he a god or something? As I stared at him in awe, Heliod frowned.
“That’s the High Priest.”
“Yes, I mean, what?”
“It seems the triumphal ceremony is about to begin.”
It was then that I realized where I was.
This was the cursed dream. Everything here was based on Heliod’s memories. There was no way I would have forgotten if I had seen the High Priest before. How could anyone forget someone with such a striking appearance? If Heliod embodied purity and chastity, then the High Priest looked like a divine statue, sculpted to perfection. Of course, I thought Heliod would still have a more beautiful face when crying, but…
Lost in my thoughts, I barely noticed when the High Priest beckoned to Heliod.
“I’ve been looking for you for a while. You need to take your place.”
“…My apologies.”
“I will be by His Majesty’s side. If anything bothers you, let me know.”
“Yes.”
Heliod nodded silently. I rolled my eyes and whispered to him.
“Doesn’t he notice your hands are tied? It looks obviously uncomfortable.”
“Please don’t make such disrespectful comments about the High Priest.”
“But… isn’t he just a figment of your dream?”
Heliod didn’t answer.
Considering how much he revered the High Priest like a father, I understood his loyalty and respect… Wait, a father?
“Gasp. Why does the High Priest look so young? Isn’t he supposed to be your father’s age?”
“He is. The High Priest has been blessed by the god Seisior with an ageless body.”
“My goodness….”
Even if it’s not true immortality, an ageless body would certainly be something worth studying. Maybe that’s why he stayed out of the public eye.
“He’s not exactly someone you’d expect to attend a triumphal ceremony.”
“Indeed. It seems he appeared in the dream because he could influence me.”
“Hmm.”
I stroked my chin, deep in thought. Meanwhile, Heliod started walking in the direction the High Priest had gone, and I quickly followed him.
“What are you planning to do?”
“I intend to attend the procession with the other knights.”
“But wasn’t the condition of the ordeal… to climax with my help throughout the entire ceremony?”
“…Yes.”
Heliod hesitated to reply before sighing weakly. His ears turned red again. Seeing that this might be my only chance while his hands were tied, I reached out with my right hand and touched the rim of his ear.
“Huh?! Lady Arpen!”
As Heliod’s voice rose, people around us began to stare. He bit his lip in embarrassment and lowered his voice.
“What are you doing? Please, take your hand off.”
“Oh, I just noticed you always seem to be running a fever, so I was checking if you were warm. You’re definitely hot.”
I gently massaged his earlobe with my thumb and forefinger, slowly tracing downwards. Heliod suddenly halted in his tracks.
“Please, stop…”
“Are you feeling something, Sir?”
“No, I am not.”
Despite his denial, the way he clenched his jaw and blinked his moist eyes incessantly made it clear he was on the verge of arousal. This man—he’s too sensitive, almost overly so.
“I’ve told you before, Sir, you’re much too sensitive. It’s quite erotic.”
“Please! You need to stop saying such things. Ever since we started exchanging letters, why do you keep… hngh.”
Heliod tilted his head back, his eyes squeezing shut. Not just his ears, but his cheeks had also turned red, betraying the heat he was feeling. I chuckled softly and rose on my tiptoes to whisper in his ear.
“Sir, people are watching.”
“Ah…”
Heliod’s sudden halt during our walk seemed to have caught some attention. A man with slightly lighter blonde hair than the High Priest came running over to him.
“Commander, is everything all right?”
“…It’s nothing…”
“Your face is flushed. Are you feeling unwell…?”
“Don’t worry about it. Return to your position, Keron.”
“Yes, understood!”
I withdrew my hand from Heliod’s ear, letting out a small sigh of admiration.
“He must be one of the knights.”
“He’s the vice-captain.”
“Oh… he’s quite handsome too.”
Heliod froze for a moment, then shot me a sharp look.
“What did you just say?”
“I just said he’s handsome.”
“Keron is a paladin, but he hasn’t taken the vow of chastity. He’s the second son of Baron Whistone and is engaged, so that kind of interest…”
“Oh, come on, who said anything? I just said he’s handsome. Besides, our knight is way more impressive, so don’t pout.”
“Pou—pouting…?”
Heliod looked more flustered than he had when he first climaxed in my hands. His eyes were wide with embarrassment, and he shook his arms in frustration, unable to hide his face, before turning his head away and sighing deeply.
“But now it’s clear.”
“…What is?”
“Ever since the High Priest appeared, it seems no one is aware of me.”
Heliod blinked a few times before letting out a small sigh of realization.
As we continued walking, the procession of the Seisior Paladins came into view not far ahead. At the very front, a grand chair, as ornate as any noble’s, was positioned next to Keron, the vice-captain.
“It seems so,” Heliod replied.
“When will you step forward before His Majesty?” I asked.
“If this reflects reality, I should be the last to go, after all the other knights have been awarded.”
I nodded in understanding and followed Heliod as we passed the procession of paladins and moved forward.
Despite his hands being tied behind his back, Heliod walked with a straight and proud posture, receiving respectful nods from the many knights as he took his place. Soon, the sound of trumpets blared, signaling the start of the ceremony.
‘It seems like everything revolves around Sir Vus.’
In reality, this would usually begin with His Majesty’s victory speech, but instead, the awards ceremony for the knights started abruptly. The High Priest clapped softly from a position slightly below and to the left of Emperor Gaetan and Empress Gaetan, while Keron kept speaking to Heliod, revealing his nervousness.
‘This… feels too real.’
Apart from the jumbled order of events, everything was eerily identical to reality. I glanced at Heliod with a worried look. He, too, appeared tense as he observed the ceremony.
At one point, Heliod briefly lowered his head and then made a subtle gesture toward me.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“…It seems I must fulfill the condition,” he replied quietly.
“Ah.”
I looked down at Heliod.
Today’s ordeal required him to experience pleasure throughout the entire ceremony. Right, it was my turn to take action.
“Alright, Sir, just relax.”
I said, as I gently stroked Heliod’s tense neck and stepped in front of him. Suddenly, something caught my eye that I hadn’t noticed before. A servant stood next to Heliod, holding a silver tray. But instead of food or wine, the tray held something else. I blinked in disbelief.
‘Is that… a sex toy?’
It was a male masturbation device made from slime, sitting conspicuously on the silver tray.
“Wow….”
I let out a brief exclamation of surprise as I picked up the device, and the servant withdrew to the background. Heliod, who had been watching me with a puzzled expression, asked,
“Lady Arpen? What is that?”
“Oh… You don’t know what this is?”
I brought the device closer to Heliod since his hands were tied, allowing him to examine it closely. After scrutinizing it, he looked up at me with innocent eyes.
“There’s a creature inside, a slime. Slimes aren’t dangerous, but they can be toxic to those with sensitive skin, so you must be careful.”
“Is that all?”
“…Is there another explanation needed?”
“Hmm.”
I covered my face to hide the smile creeping up my cheeks.
Heliod Vus, you innocent man.
He seemed a bit uneasy about my reaction and was about to say something when a breeze suddenly lifted my skirt, causing it to flutter. Heliod quickly averted his eyes.
“My apologies.”
Dressed only in a light slip, even a gentle breeze exposed my thighs completely. Heliod’s face turned bright red from his neck to his ears, and he awkwardly focused on anything but me.
“Lady Arpen, it’s improper to remain dressed like that. Perhaps you should fetch a coat from somewhere….”
“But you’re the only one who can see me.”
