To Lady Luisha Arpen,
The letter began without any flowery preambles, written in neat, elegant handwriting. Even his penmanship seemed to reflect his well-composed nature. I couldn’t help but chuckle softly as I continued reading.
I deeply apologize for the… *(the content was summarized)* …this sin… *(more summaries)* …so I must humbly ask that you keep this matter discreet…
The entire first page was a long apology for what had happened the previous night. I could almost picture the expression he wore while writing this, and it made me smile. But as I turned to the next page, my eyes widened in surprise.
There is something I must tell you regarding the curse.
My eyes grew wide as I read on.
Through my investigation with the priest, we have discovered more about the curse.
Heliod had already found a way to counteract the curse!
❖ ❖ ❖
“No, Lady Luisha!”
“Let go of me, Jenny!”
“You’re not fully recovered! Where do you think you’re going?”
“I’m fine, really! The temple! Sir Vus is at the temple, right? I need to go there!”
I dashed out of the room still in my nightgown, but Jenny and my father quickly caught up and blocked my way.
“Heavens, Luisha! What’s gotten into you? Why are you so eager to see that knight?”
“I need to talk to him. Please, just let me go!”
As I flailed my arms in frustration, my mother gracefully folded her fan and approached us. Both my father and Jenny fell silent, and we all looked at her with bated breath.
“Luisha.”
“Y-Yes?”
“Are you sure nothing happened with Sir Vus?”
Her golden eyes seemed to pierce right through me, reading my every thought. I swallowed hard and nodded.
“Nothing happened… at all.”
Chetina Arpen—who was she? The queen of the social world, feared even by the Empress herself. She was the one who had shaped me from a reckless troublemaker into the refined lady I was today. If she hadn’t met my father, she probably would have taken over the empire with a sword or a pen, whatever was at hand. Even now, she controlled more than half of the empire, though she only dabbled in politics for amusement, having found happiness in her love for my bear-like father…
In short, one must never defy Mother.
“All that happened was a brief conversation in the corridor. I don’t know why I fainted… but I want to meet with Sir Vus and discuss what happened that day.”
I answered politely, but my shoulders trembled at the thought of lying to her.
“So, I’m going to the temple now to find out what really happened!”
My attempt at explaining turned into a desperate plea. I realized immediately that I was doomed. Fainting suddenly and claiming ignorance, insisting I needed to go to the temple right now to talk to Sir Vus—there was no way Mother would accept this. Sure enough, her eyebrow twitched as she toyed with her fan. My father sucked in a breath and muttered, “Her eyebrow moved!”
“What did the letter say?”
“Um, well… it was mostly personal…”
Mother’s frown deepened, and my father let out a shrill, “Her frown deepened!” I quickly clasped my hands together and looked at her with the most pleading expression I could muster.
“Sir Vus asked to see me, too. I just want to understand what happened. I’ll explain everything once I’m back!”
Of course, that was a lie. How could I possibly tell them that I spent the entire night exploring the “virtues” of a holy knight?
“And if anything dangerous had happened, I wouldn’t be standing here like this. Look at me—I’m perfectly fine!”
Sure, it wasn’t dangerous. I might have gotten tangled up in the curse of the last demon in the world, but since it’s a curse meant to corrupt a holy knight, how dangerous could it really be?
For a brief moment, I wondered what would happen if Heliod lost his purity, but I quickly shook the thought away. That wasn’t important right now.
“So, please, trust me. I need to meet with that handsome… I mean, Sir Vus right away!”
Oops, that slipped out.
But really, after spending all night with him, I wouldn’t mind seeing that handsome face again. The letter had made me miss him even more. And besides, wouldn’t it be better to ask him about the curse directly?
I bit my lip, then looked back at Mother with an earnest expression. Did she finally understand my sincerity? She studied me for a long moment before letting out a deep sigh.
“If you’re truly feeling well, you can go to the temple or wherever you wish.”
“Yay!”
“But Luisha, remember this.”
Mother’s face hardened as she opened her fan, her golden eyes glinting through the fluttering feathers.
“Sir Vus is a war hero of the empire. Treat him with the utmost respect.”
My eyes widened, and I nodded nervously.
“Yes, I’ll be careful.”
“And don’t go making any ridiculous claims about wanting him as a lover.”
“Wha… What?”
I shot a sharp glare at Jenny, who suddenly found great interest in straightening the bed curtains. She had ratted me out to Mother!
“I won’t think about that!”
Of course, the truth was I’d been thinking about it all night long. But that’s my little secret.
❖ ❖ ❖
After finally convincing everyone that I was perfectly fine, I made my way to the Seisior Temple. The temple was adorned with worshippers of Seisior, our god, and beautiful statues scattered throughout. I entered the temple with Jenny, my face partially concealed by a veil.
We were greeted by a priest and guided to the innermost sanctum, where I saw Heliod kneeling before a large statue, lighting a candle and praying.
“Oh…”
Both Jenny and I couldn’t help but sigh in admiration.
Heliod, dressed in casual clothing instead of his usual uniform or knight’s armor, was the very embodiment of raw, sensual allure. He wore a loose black shirt with a brown leather belt cinched at his waist. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up, exposing the muscular forearms beneath as he held his hands in prayer. His long white hair was neatly tied back, and as he murmured his prayers, the muscles in his thick neck shifted under the collar, making for a sight that would make even the most pious struggle to maintain composure.
Swallowing hard, I cautiously approached him. Sensing my presence, Heliod lifted his head and looked at me. His bright blue eyes widened in surprise.
“…Lady Arpen?”
“Hello, Sir Knight.”
I greeted him with a familiar smile, and his ears quickly turned a shade of red. He hurriedly stood up and asked,
“What brings you here… Did you not receive my letter?”
“Oh, I received it. That’s why I’m here.”
Heliod’s face showed a mix of confusion and concern. I tugged him slightly closer and whispered, making sure Jenny couldn’t overhear,
“You mentioned that we only need to endure five more times. What does that mean? I thought the demon’s curse couldn’t be removed unless through holy power or magic?”
Yes, the curious phrase that had driven me to rush here. Heliod’s letter had stated:
[Based on our analysis of the curse, it seems that if we endure five more trials like yesterday, the curse will be lifted. So, you needn’t worry about… (words scratched out)… I mean, you needn’t concern yourself with my condition. While we may be drawn into the dream again a few more times, what happened yesterday should not occur again.]
“And even though you said it wouldn’t affect me, what if something dangerous happens…?”
Heliod’s blue eyes flickered with uncertainty. He glanced around, noting the few priests in the area and Jenny standing behind me, then quietly suggested,
“…If you’re comfortable with it, I can explain further inside.”
“Ah, yes, that sounds good.”
The interior of the temple, beyond the prayer room and the infirmary, was accessible only to high-ranking priests and those like Heliod, who held significant positions within the temple. As I prepared to enter, I turned to Jenny, just in case, and said,
“Jenny, you wait out here.”
“What? But—”
“It’s alright. It’s just the temple. I’ll only be talking with him and then I’ll be right out.”
Jenny looked back and forth between Heliod and me with wide, uncertain eyes. When Heliod gave her a reassuring smile, she jumped slightly, then nodded vigorously.
“Yes, of course. My lady, please call me immediately if you feel unwell.”
“Don’t worry, Jenny.”
Since no one was allowed to carry weapons inside the temple, the guards had to stay outside, and Jenny was expected to remain in the prayer room. That meant I would be alone with Heliod.
“This way, please.”
Heliod soon led me through a thick, smooth wooden door. I lifted the veil that had been obscuring my view and took in my surroundings.
“Where are we?”
“This is my office.”
The room was filled with the fresh scent of paper, a luxurious wooden desk, and bookshelves lining the walls. Sunlight streamed in, illuminating the room through a large window that offered a clear view of the temple’s beautiful garden. It was a lovely space—quite a nice office.
‘The High Priest must truly care for Sir Vus.’
Heliod had been taken into the knight order under the High Priest’s protection after displaying his divine power. It was well-known that Heliod followed the High Priest almost like a father. Although they weren’t related by blood, they clearly shared a deep bond. As I admired the room, I turned to see Heliod hesitating, and I faced him with curiosity.
“Alright, shall we talk now? How is the curse supposed to be lifted?”
“…First, I must apologize again for what happened yesterday.”
Heliod’s long lashes trembled as he bowed deeply to me. Startled, I moved closer to him, but before I could say anything, he continued.
“I’m truly sorry for showing you such a disgraceful sight. Even under the influence of the demon’s curse, I should have maintained control and resisted, but I failed and acted shamefully.”
“Wait, hold on.”
“I’m deeply ashamed. I promise that nothing like what happened yesterday will ever happen again. You should forget about the curse and—”
“Sir Knight!”
I placed my hands on Heliod’s shoulders and gently pulled him upright. He flinched and took a step back.
“I’ve told you several times that I’m fine. Are you worried that I’ll tell someone?”
“No, it’s not that…”
“Really, it’s okay. It was certainly unexpected, but you were under the curse’s influence, so it’s not like you had a choice. Besides, I wasn’t really harmed by it…”
I hadn’t been able to attend the memorial service, but that didn’t matter to me. What mattered was Heliod, struggling against the aphrodisiac, Heliod, shedding tears of frustration, and… Heliod with that enormous member…
