After parting ways with the demon, Dehan lowered his wooden sword and let out a faint sigh.
The demon’s words from earlier replayed in his mind.
– The prince is coming, isn’t he? To see Lady Shekina?
The statement carried a lot of implications.
The prince was coming.
He was interested in Shekina and would continue to be so after arriving.
In other words, the prince would overshadow someone like Dehan, who had already been cast out from the temple.
Dehan knew about the time when the empress had invited Shekina to the capital. Back then, everyone had speculated that ‘the empress intends to pair Shekina with the prince.’
But then, Shekina had suddenly returned to the North, and the situation had fallen apart. Dehan had been relieved.
The thought of Shekina getting engaged to some unknown prince, even for political reasons, was far from pleasant.
So, he had been at ease.
Until he heard about the prince’s visit.
‘Damn it.’
Dehan muttered a curse under his breath, frowning deeply.
The idea of the prince coming didn’t sit well with him.
The thought that the prince might become engaged to Shekina made him even more uneasy.
And knowing that this scenario might not remain a mere possibility unsettled him further. The thought of it potentially happening soon frustrated him.
If the prince and Shekina truly got married…
– That won’t happen.
…What?
Dehan’s eyes widened in shock as he looked around. He thought someone had spoken to him, but there was no one.
There was no one around.
Had he imagined it? Was he hearing things because he was tired? Dehan’s eyelid twitched slightly.
– Shekina isn’t going to get married.
Whoosh!
This time, he was sure he had heard it. The voice was far too vivid to be a hallucination.
It wasn’t a mistake.-
– You and Shekina won’t be separated.
From where? Where was the voice coming from?
Dehan froze in place, listening intently for any further sounds, but even as the sun stretched higher in the sky, nothing more reached his ears.
“What in the world…”
He didn’t know what was happening.
But while Dehan was confused, he felt no fear—none at all. It seemed there was no reason to fear. It all felt strangely familiar.
“…Something’s strange.”
Yes, it truly was strange.
Feeling an unreasonably excessive fondness for Shekina, whom he had just met for the first time, was strange. The sudden flood of memories about her, the unfamiliar voice that didn’t feel strange—all of it was peculiar.
But what frustrated him the most was that he knew absolutely nothing.
What was happening? Why was it happening? What should he do moving forward? He didn’t know any of it, and that ignorance made Dehan feel even more stifled.
‘For now…’
He recalled the voice he had heard.
‘Shekina isn’t getting married?’
If that were true, then he wouldn’t need to worry about the prince right now.
But what if it wasn’t true?
And if it were merely a hallucination?
Then, what should I do?
‘Stopping the engagement… seems like the best option.’
Setting aside whether he could even manage to do so, the bigger problem was with what right he could interfere in Shekina’s future.
– If I see you hanging around Shekina unless she calls for you, I’ll kill you with my own hands.
And with that Yurian or whatever his name was glaring at him like that, it became even more difficult.
“Nothing’s really going my way.”
Dehan ruffled his hair and muttered to himself.
It might have been a slightly defeatist thought, but he wished that someone would just reach out to him in moments like this. Someone to guide him on what to do next, someone to say, ‘If you do this, you’ll be happy.’
Of course, he knew such a thing would never happen.
“Hey, why are you sulking here like this?”
…Or could it?
Dehan was momentarily stunned, staring into Shekina’s bright, wide-open eyes as she suddenly appeared in front of him.
“Lady Shekina?”
“Yeah, it’s me.”
Shekina crossed her arms confidently and lifted her chin.
“Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost? Do you want to die?”
“Oh, no. I was just a bit startled…”
“What’s there to be startled about?”
Shekina chuckled and extended her hand toward Dehan.
“Come with me somewhere.”
Her hand…
Dehan blankly stared at her small hand.
***
What’s the best way to mess with the elders?
It’s to monopolize the Black Spinel they’re so desperately searching for.
Shekina knew where the Black Spinel was and how to obtain it, making it easy for her to frustrate them.
But there was a problem.
Originally, Shekina had intended to use the Black Spinel for ‘distribution to the demons.’
In other words, she hadn’t planned on taking much of the Black Spinel.
‘Once the Black Spinel gets out, the elders will be scrambling to find its source…’
Taking just a little wouldn’t be enough to make a statement.
So, the only option was to gather all the Black Spinel until there wasn’t a single piece left.
‘But the question is whether the merfolk will stand by and let it happen.’
Originally, Shekina had planned to steal the Black Spinel secretly, but with the need to take such a large quantity, theft was no longer an option. If she got caught stealing, it would be the end of her. The merfolk’s temperament was just as ferocious as the demons’.
But giving up?
No, that was never an option!
‘There’s a way to walk in proudly through the front door.’
For some reason, the merfolk were incredibly sensitive to demonic energy. At the mere hint of it, they’d immediately come running, demanding to know who it was. They hated demonic energy and loathed demons.
Doesn’t that sound familiar?
Exactly,
‘Priests.’
Though they were a different species, merfolk and priests shared many similarities. The merfolk were a race blessed with the power of the sea god, while priests borrowed the power of the one true god.
Their shared characteristic of revering a deity was the only trait that distinguished them from other species, which is why the merfolk liked priests.
And fortunately, right now, there happened to be a priest and a promising holy knight resting peacefully in the Demon King’s castle.
‘Yuriel and Dehan.’
Even if a low-ranking priest accidentally drifted ashore, the merfolk would throw a feast to welcome them. So, what would happen if Yuriel, a priest with immense divine power, went there?
What if Dehan, with his dazzling smile, joined as well?
‘It would flip the world upside down, for sure.’
Shekina grinned and hurriedly made her way toward Dehan, who was standing idly in the middle of the training ground.
“Come with me somewhere.”
Of course, she didn’t plan on taking only Dehan. Yuriel would go too. She didn’t know where Yuriel was at the moment, so she came to Dehan first. Now it was time to go find Yuriel.
With that thought, Shekina extended her hand to Dehan and blinked expectantly.
“………”
What?
Why isn’t he taking it?
Shekina tilted her head, staring at Dehan.
“What’s wrong? Is there something on my hand?”
Dehan, who had been blankly staring at Shekina’s hand, suddenly made a noise and raised his chin. Then, he met her gaze.
Looking into her crystal-clear, piercing eyes… Dehan continued the thoughts he’d been entertaining just moments ago.
If only someone would guide him, if only someone would lead him. If that happened, he’d follow without hesitation.
Dehan opened his mouth.
“If I follow you, Lady Shekina, will you tell me what I need to do?”
What nonsense was this? Shekina furrowed her brows.
Of course, you’ll just do as I tell you… right?
“Yes. That’s why I’m taking you with me.”
“Even in the future?”
Dehan took a step closer to Shekina and asked.
“Even in the future, should I just do whatever you say?”
Shekina briefly pondered the meaning of his words.
But her contemplation didn’t last long.
“Yes.”
Shekina grinned as she replied.
“It’s not like you can refuse even if you hate it, right?”
“…That’s true.”
At Shekina’s teasing words, Dehan finally relaxed and answered.
After all, he couldn’t refuse Shekina’s commands. Shekina was a demon, and he owed his life to the demons.
So, with Shekina now saying she would guide him.
There was no reason to refuse, no reason he could refuse.
Dehan smiled brightly and firmly grasped Shekina’s hand.
“I look forward to working with you.”
– You and Shekina cannot be separated.
He prayed that the voice he had heard wasn’t wrong.
