Episode 5. Victory Parade

‘This is madness.’

After waking from the dream, I thought to myself as I changed out of my damp underclothes.

‘Utterly insane.’

There was no denying that the curse placed upon the holy knight was a tragic affair, but, truthfully, I couldn’t help but marvel at it.

It was just too enjoyable!

‘Is this demon a genius?’

Unlike the first ordeal, this one plagued Heliod under the gaze of countless people and in ever-changing surroundings, making the demon within me gleefully restless. Heliod would moan obscenely as I teased him, tugging on his nipples, and as I grasped him and made him lose himself, he’d forget all about the Emperor and everything else, surrendering utterly.

The demon had an impeccable sense for choosing its target. If anyone else had fallen under this curse with Heliod, they would likely have been driven to despair, fasting in sorrow, succumbing to illness, and meeting an untimely end.

If the remaining ordeals were anything like this, I almost wished this curse would last forever.

“But that just won’t do…”

Even so, he was the hero of the Empire. I couldn’t permit myself to think this way about Heliod. I sighed deeply, giving myself a light knock on the head. But how could I deny the thrill?

“Lady Luisha, did you cough?”

Just then, Jenny entered the room with her usual bright smile. I quickly composed myself, letting the heat in my body subside, and nodded gracefully.

“Yes.”

Pretending to yawn, I rubbed my eyes, then clapped my hands abruptly. That’s it—to cool these flaring emotions, I needed Heliod.

“Jenny! Could you fetch me some paper?”

Jenny, who was bringing in wash water, widened her eyes.

“Are you writing another letter to Sir Heliod?”

“Yes. The victory parade is happening today, after all. I wanted to check on him before then.”

“Understood. I’ll be back in a moment!”

With a mischievous grin, Jenny left the room. I sighed sweetly, ignoring her and savoring the lingering traces of the dream. I had to ask about his mood before the memory faded.

Sir Knight, how did it feel when I touched your chest? Are you a maiden at heart? Though it was just a dream, how did it feel to reach that peak in front of the Emperor and High Priest? Shame? Despair? Or… pleasure?

Sending a letter that would tease Heliod’s sense of shame seemed like the only way to curb my provocative thoughts. Grinning widely, I eagerly set to work with my quill, and Jenny quickly arranged for a servant to deliver it to Heliod’s estate.

Time passed. Morning, noon… right up until the afternoon. When the victory parade was barely an hour away, I realized:

There was no reply. Heliod had ignored my letter!

❖ ❖ ❖

“Heliod?”

Heliod, who had been staring blankly at the table, looked up in surprise at the gentle voice.

“Oh, yes, High Priest.”

“Are you alright? You don’t look well.”

“I’m fine.”

“Perhaps I shouldn’t have invited you for this meal. You seem quite tense.”

In the secluded depths of the Seisior Temple, within a vast garden that few but the designated servants and attendants could enter, the High Priest swept back his radiant blond hair, watching Heliod with a concerned expression.

“It must be uncomfortable for you. After all, His Majesty won’t grant you a reward fitting your deeds.”

“I don’t mind. A title would only be a nuisance, so it’s better not to receive one.”

“If that’s truly how you feel, then that’s good…”

The High Priest glanced at Heliod, tapping his knife thoughtfully. Heliod, eager to appear unaffected, mechanically chewed on the salad before him, only to drift back into his thoughts.

‘If it’s your body, Sir Knight, I want it entirely.’

The events from his dream crept into his mind repeatedly.

Dozens of eyes had watched him, with the High Priest’s upright gaze and Luisha’s sly smile. Bound as if by chains, he had felt fear in those penetrating stares, and as he twisted in discomfort, Luisha approached, plunging him into waves of pleasure. In the end, no matter how much he tried to deny it, he had stained the Emperor’s robes, leaving him with a bone-deep shame that felt like death itself.

Heliod’s blue eyes darkened deeply. He clenched his teeth, gripping his fork with renewed force.

‘I’ll touch you wherever you desire, Sir Knight.’

‘…Down there.’

Luisha’s mischievous golden eyes glinted as she traced teasing circles, her gaze filled with both wickedness and lust. The Heliod in his dream, flushed and breathless, responded.

‘Please… touch me down there.’

Clink. Heliod’s fork slipped from his hand. He exhaled a soft, weary sigh, lowering his head, prompting the High Priest to signal a servant with a subtle gesture. Heliod straightened himself with a fatigued expression.

“You truly don’t look well. Shall we end the meal here?”

“I’ll excuse myself. Please, High Priest, do continue.”

“No need. I don’t have much appetite, either.”

Though a fresh fork was brought, neither of them reached for it. The High Priest observed Heliod, noting his reddening ears, and finally broke the silence.

“There’s been some talk among the servants recently.”

“Talk, you say…”

“A rumor that you’re exchanging letters with Lady Arpen.”

Heliod coughed, startled. Just this morning, he had received another of Luisha’s letters, brimming with her teasing provocations. Though he hadn’t replied, troubled by recent events, he planned to send a sharp warning after his meal with the High Priest. As Heliod looked away, choosing not to respond, the High Priest’s expression grew more solemn.

“Heliod, if you were to find someone you love, that would be a wonderful thing.”

“High Priest, it’s not like that!”

Love, he said. Heliod’s face flushed a deep red.

“It’s simply… we’ve only discussed matters related to the curse.”

The High Priest knew well of the demon’s curse afflicting him, that it imposed six ordeals, each driving the holy knight’s body toward temptation and corruption. It was this knowledge that left the High Priest concerned for Heliod.

“If you say there’s nothing, then I’ll trust that. But, Heliod, listen closely.”

“…Yes.”

“You may not realize it, but Lady Arpen is a woman of noble birth and considerable power.”

The confusion on Heliod’s face began to fade, his expression settling into something unreadable. With a look of quiet regret, the High Priest’s brow softened.

“People of such standing are usually either very cautious or…”

The High Priest’s gaze, deep and cold, fixed on Heliod.

“…shamelessly frivolous.”

“Lady Arpen is not that kind of person.”

Heliod denied it instinctively but paused for a moment. Was she… or was she not? Lost in his thoughts, he blinked, and the High Priest offered a faint, weary smile.

“When this curse is lifted, you’ll need to draw a line. I trust you’ll manage it well.”

“…Understood.”

Heliod nodded quietly.

The High Priest was right. Luisha was the only daughter of the Duke of Arpen, bearing the second-highest title in the realm, just beneath the imperial family. She was destined to inherit her father’s duchy and lead the House of Arpen as its noble heir. No matter how celebrated his status as a war hero, he was still a commoner, someone she could never truly take seriously.

The whispers in her letters and dreams were only fleeting fantasies.

‘Sir Knight, why are you so beautiful?’

‘I wish someone like you could be my lover.’

‘Do you know you’re exactly my type?’

These were words he shouldn’t dwell on.

Heliod clenched his jaw, closed his eyes, and took a deep, steadying breath as if to regain control. Rising from his seat, he bowed to the High Priest and made his way toward the upcoming victory parade.

The High Priest watched Heliod’s retreating figure, his worry slipping back into his expression. Resting his chin on his hand, he tapped the table thoughtfully, then gestured to the waiting servant at his side.

“Paul. Could you bring me that?”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Paul bowed and swiftly left the garden.

A short time later, he returned with an opulent, thick velvet box, which he handed to the High Priest. Offering a grateful smile, the High Priest opened the box and pulled out a bundle of several letters.

“Luisha Arpen.”

Inside were copies of the secret letters exchanged between Luisha and Heliod. They ranged from innocent, polite inquiries to unabashedly admiring remarks about Heliod’s body, face, and… even more intimate details. The High Priest skimmed Luisha’s letters indifferently, until he picked up one from Heliod, pausing as he read it.

> [Lady Arpen, please do not speak so carelessly. Have you no regard for my feelings?]

A short but firm response. The High Priest couldn’t recall ever seeing Heliod assert himself outside of official duties. Even toward himself, who had looked after him since childhood, Heliod was always cautious, tempering his words after much self-reflection. But with this Lady Arpen, it was different. Perhaps there was a foundation of shame, yet Heliod spoke without reservation.

‘Heliod harbors feelings for her.’

Even if those feelings began with physical desire… Heliod was undoubtedly drawn to Luisha. The High Priest found this displeasing.

“This really won’t do…”

Yes, why deny it any longer?

“My boy deserves to marry someone he truly loves…”

The High Priest, Helikantium II, was a hopelessly doting father.