I took a step closer to him and whispered.
“I actually enjoyed it.”
“…What?”
“So, please don’t worry about it, Sir Knight.”
My voice was low but firm, and Heliod’s face grew progressively redder. His bright blue eyes trembled as he struggled to find his voice, eventually covering his mouth and lowering his head.
Oh dear, did I sound too much like a demon? I quickly added,
“Of course, it would be best to lift the curse. A curse that aims to corrupt you is vile and despicable…”
Then, suddenly struck by a thought, I asked,
“But what about the five trials? What does that mean? How does going through those trials break the curse?”
I could understand that keeping his purity allowed us to leave the dream, but the idea that the curse would be broken after enduring five more trials was something entirely different.
“…Typically, a demon’s curse can only be lifted through a direct counter-curse, but the demon who cursed me has no physical form. As a result, the curse is designed to fade with time.”
“And the five trials?”
“That’s… well…”
Heliod hesitated, clenching his fists. His white eyelashes fluttered as he looked at me and said,
“Lady Arpen, may I remove my clothing for a moment?”
“Yes, go ahead.”
Wait, what?
“…Excuse me?”
“Oh.”
My thoughts and words didn’t match up. I awkwardly waved my hands and smiled.
“No, I mean, why are you taking off your clothes?”
“There is a mark of the curse on my back. If you see it, you’ll understand.”
I nodded, and Heliod took a deep breath before lifting his lightweight black shirt. Last night, I had only caught glimpses of his chest muscles through his uniform, and I had regretted not seeing more. Now, my eyes gleamed as I took in the sight of his bare upper body.
His chest was perfectly symmetrical, with pink nipples and a defined collarbone that highlighted his sculpted muscles. His abs were finely chiseled, and his waist… oh, his waist was a work of art. Just thinking about how that waist moved beneath me all night sent a rush of heat through me. When I licked my lips, Heliod flinched and quickly turned around.
That brought me back to my senses.
“Oh… this is…”
A long, black mark was etched along Heliod’s spine, with several branches spreading out from it like a serpent. There were six branches in total—one had faded to a grayish hue and looked like it might disappear soon, while the other five still writhed slightly, emitting a disturbing aura.
I frowned and stepped closer to him.
“Are these the trials you mentioned?”
“Yes, that’s correct. I didn’t explain it in the letter, but when we enter the dream, there’s a moment when my mind and the demon’s curse become briefly intertwined.”
Heliod’s expression darkened as he continued in a low voice, as if recalling last night.
“That’s how I realized that maintaining my purity would allow us to escape the dream. I believe the conditions for each trial will vary.”
“I see…”
I fell silent, contemplating this, before tilting my head and reaching out to touch the mark on his back. My fingers brushed against the pattern running along his spine, and I felt Heliod take a sharp breath.
“But, Sir Knight, what would have happened if we hadn’t overcome the trial last night?”
“…Not overcoming it…”
“I mean, if you had fallen into the demon’s trap and succumbed to corruption.”
As my fingers traced the highest branch downwards, Heliod’s back muscles quivered. He glanced at me, clearly flustered, and covered his mouth with his hand.
“L-Lady Arpen.”
“Yes?”
“Could you please… remove your hand?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Did that bother you?”
For some reason, the glowing mark didn’t seem frightening. Perhaps because it was on Heliod’s body, it even seemed somewhat… enticing. A tattoo on the holy knight’s waist… well, it was a curse, but still. It looked almost delicious.
“It’s not that it was unpleasant…”
Heliod’s voice trailed off as my hand continued to glide downwards, following the branches of the mark to the waistband of his pants. His body tensed as he straightened up.
“Ah, Lady Arpen!”
After spending hours touching him in the dream, I didn’t think this would be a problem. The swirling black mark was just too fascinating.
Noticing Heliod’s reaction, I pulled my hand away.
“Sorry about that.”
“No, it’s fine.”
Heliod quickly shook his head, but he still avoided making eye contact with me, staring at the wall as he panted. Frowning, I moved to his side.
“Sir Knight? What’s wrong?”
“…”
“Sir Knight?”
Heliod ignored my call and turned his head away. I noticed his ears had turned a deep shade of red. Something about his reaction seemed off.
‘All I did was touch his back…’
I hesitated, observing him carefully.
Heliod was still covering his mouth, his shoulders rising and falling with each labored breath. With his face turned away, I could only see a bit of his profile, but I could tell he was clenching his eyes shut, his eyelashes trembling as if he were enduring something. His flushed cheeks and heavy breathing… it all felt familiar, so I slowly lowered my gaze.
And, as I expected…
“Sir Knight, are you… aroused?”
“Don’t look!”
Heliod quickly turned away from me, his back facing me. But in that brief moment, it was clear—there was a large bulge straining against his pants. I trailed after him, pressing him with questions.
“Is it because I touched you?”
“No! It’s the curse… I believe the curse is reacting to your touch.”
Heliod bit his lip.
“When someone tries to erase the mark of the curse, this kind of reaction occurs. So, it’s not that I… um…”
Heliod clenched his fists and averted his gaze, his eyes squeezed shut as he exclaimed,
“It’s not that I had impure thoughts about you!”
“Ah…”
“I didn’t realize it would respond this way to anything other than aura… That was my mistake… Ah!”
As I placed my hand on his waist again, Heliod’s back arched sharply.
“Please, don’t touch me!”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“Why do you… handle my body so easily…?”
Heliod’s voice trailed off as if he couldn’t find the words. It seemed he was struggling to endure the surges of pleasure, as he covered his mouth and leaned his head against the wall, groaning softly. I scratched my cheek as I looked over his strong back.
“Do I really touch your body that easily?”
“It’s not… that…”
The corners of Heliod’s eyes glistened with moisture.
“I was taught that such contact… is something that occurs between those with a close relationship.”
“Ah.”
“And while I understand that it’s because you’re caught up in my curse, I still feel… Hngh…”
Heliod took a deep breath, hastily covering his erection with one hand as he whispered,
“Your casual attitude is confusing me.”
I blinked and looked at Heliod, who was blushing deeply.
How do I explain this? Heliod’s innocence was strikingly different from that of the other knights who had taken vows of celibacy and served the temple all their lives. It was like looking at freshly fallen snow, untouched by anyone.
“Sir Knight, you really are so pure.”
“…What?”
Heliod wiped the sweat from his face and glanced at me. I took a step closer and continued,
“You’re right—this kind of contact is usually reserved for lovers.”
“….”
“But…”
I tilted my head and leaned in closer. Heliod flinched, his body tensing up. He blinked rapidly, his white eyelashes fluttering as he tried to back away. But the wall was only a few steps behind him, leaving him trapped, pressed up against me. Heliod swallowed reflexively.
“Not everyone follows that rule.”
“Lady Arpen, could you please… step back a little?”
“I used to be one of those people.”
Heliod’s blue eyes widened in surprise. The soft pressure of my chest against his upper abdomen made him bite his lip as his eyes darted around, looking for an escape. I gently grasped his chin and turned his face back toward me.
“That’s how I was before. Not anymore.”
“Then why are you behaving like this toward me…?”
“Because it’s you.”
From head to toe, you’re just so handsome! How could I possibly stay calm in front of such a masterpiece?
“Oh…”
Heliod stared at me in a daze. His expression shifted between confusion and realization, his face turning pale, then flushing red. Finally, with teary eyes, he lowered his head. His chest heaved with deep breaths.
“…I appreciate your feelings, Lady Arpen, but I am a knight who has taken a vow of celibacy.”
“Yes, I know.”
“So my answer must be…”
Heliod hesitated, struggling to find the right words. The closeness of my body seemed to be overwhelming for him, as he subtly twisted his upper and lower body, letting out a faint moan before closing his eyes. He turned his head away as he spoke.
“I can’t accept your feelings…”
“That’s okay.”
I responded immediately.
“What?”
“Let’s just do this during the curse period,” I suggested.
“…What?”
Heliod looked at me, utterly bewildered. I pulled his hand closer, clasping it between both of mine, and raised myself onto my toes. Our faces were now just inches apart, and I could feel his breath hitch.
“You said there are about five more trials left, right? I’m okay with that. You don’t have to worry about me. I can help you through it, just like I did last night.”
“What are you…?”
“It’s simple.”
Smiling, I guided his hand downward, trailing it over his chest, then lower to his abs, and further down past his hip bone. Heliod’s eyes widened as his body tensed under my touch.
“What are you doing…!”
My hand settled over the thick bulge in his pants. Heliod froze, staring down at me with wide eyes.
