Camille (5)

Two days had passed since then.

As promised, the night I had to embrace Sera had arrived.

It was time to let go of my feelings, yet…

My mind was still like a tangled skein of thread.

“Haa.”

I even thought about just running away.

But now I knew.

That this wasn’t just Camille’s unilateral decision.

And that Sera also desired me.

So, even if I ran away now, no one would be satisfied.

Not Camille.

Not Sera.

Not even myself.

“I have to go.”

Camille didn’t bother to show herself before me.

I even thought it was a relief.

Because if I saw her face, even my fragile resolve might waver again.

Leaving my complicated feelings behind, I arrived in front of the promised room.

I paced back and forth, contemplating for a long time.

I squeezed my eyes shut once and knocked.

Knock-knock.

The sound of knocking was heard, and a moment later, the door creaked open.

“You’ve come, Helix-nim.”

“Yeah.”

“Please come in. I’ve been waiting.”

Sera came out to greet me.

She was dressed in light sleepwear.

Sera gave me an eye-smile, then subtly approached and linked her arm with mine.

“I was so anxious, thinking you might not come.”

“I hesitated a bit outside.”

“Is that so? Still, I’m glad you came.”

Sera led me to the table inside the room.

A sweet and subtly alluring scent filled the room.

“Have you made up your mind?”

“For now…”

“You’re still very confused, aren’t you?”

Sera poured a glass of strong whiskey and offered it to me.

I don’t usually enjoy alcohol.

I dislike the feeling of getting drunk, but mostly, I just dislike the bitter taste.

But right now, it felt like I needed the help of alcohol.

“It’s bitter…”

“You don’t seem to be good at drinking?”

“Yeah, fruit juice tastes better than this.”

“Hehe, this is also made from fruit, you know? It’s like an adult’s fruit juice.”

Sera admired the shimmering glass of alcohol, holding it up to the light, then…

She tilted the glass and elegantly took a sip.

“Pwoosh!!”

And then she promptly spat it all out.

“Cough cough…!”

“What the hell, you put on such an act, but you can’t even drink it yourself…”

“Cough, actually… this is my first time drinking alcohol too…”

I let out a hollow laugh, dumbfounded.

Indeed, would a Dragon’s Priestess ever have a reason to drink alcohol in her life?

Right, everything was new to Sera too.

She was just pretending to be mature because she was older than me.

“Helix-nim?”

“No, nothing.”

When I stared at her, Sera averted her gaze, looking flustered.

But that was only for a moment. Sera filled the glass with alcohol again.

“Wouldn’t it be better to get completely drunk? Drink more.”

“Alright.”

I repeatedly downed the glasses of alcohol Sera poured for me.

A dragon’s body doesn’t get drunk easily.

I’d probably have to drink several times what Sera drank to get completely wasted.

After drinking for a long time, I turned my head at the obvious gaze I felt.

Sera was watching me with complicated eyes.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Helix-nim.”

“Speak.”

“Do you dislike it that much?”

At Sera’s single question, the hand tilting the glass stopped.

“What?”

“Being with me. Other men would be ecstatic if they had this chance.”

“It’s not a matter of liking or disliking.”

I am not a Dragon’s Priestess who must protect her purity.

It’s just that I’m so desperate without Camille.

But Camille doesn’t seem to feel that way.

That’s what makes it so miserable.

“Sera, I just… wanted to be everything to Camille.”

“…”

“But what can I do if that’s not the case?”

“Helix-nim…”

I roughly placed the glass down on the table.

This much wasn’t nearly enough.

Unless I drank straight from the bottle.

Unless I got completely wasted.

I didn’t think I could do it sober.

“Camille is a really wicked woman.”

“S-Saint-nim…?”

“Yeah, I might as well just go back to being an eggshell.”

“Really? Is that possible?”

“Heh, do you think it is?”

As the alcohol took effect, my tongue got twisted and my words became slurred.

But unlike that…

My true feelings, which I had kept buried, were spilling out freely.

“Helix-nim, this isn’t Saint-nim’s fault. It’s because of our desires.”

“Camille made the decision, didn’t she?”

“Yes, that’s true. But the responsibility lies with all of us…”

Feeling heavily intoxicated, I flopped down on the spot.

“Helix-nim…?”

“…”

“Are you perhaps sleeping?”

“No, I’m not.”

“If you’re going to sleep, take off your clothes. It’ll be uncomfortable.”

“Should I..”

Sera carefully began to undress me.

I flinched as Sera’s hand touched my skin.

No matter how naive I was, I wasn’t oblivious.

That Sera wasn’t really undressing me just so I wouldn’t be uncomfortable.

Sera, too, couldn’t back out now that things had come this far.

“Helix-nim.”

“Yeah.”

“You’re very nervous. You seem even more nervous than I am, and this is my first time.”

I buried my face in the pillow, avoiding her gaze.

Was I really that nervous?

“Don’t be afraid. This isn’t a betrayal of Saint-nim…”

“…!!”

“That’s right, good boy…”

Sera soothed me like a gentle older sister.

She kissed me, pressing her body closer and closer to mine.

Entrusting my body to her warm embrace, I squeezed my eyes shut.

Camille’s face kept appearing in my mind, tormenting me.

This was hell.

A hell that was too happy, that is.

****

The next day, I opened my eyes to a splitting hangover.

I felt warmth beside me in the bed.

It wasn’t Camille… a naked Sera was sleeping beside me.

“Hah.”

So, I really went through with it.

My stomach churned as if I had committed a great sin.

Was this really the ending Camille wanted?

I simply couldn’t accept it.

“Sera.”

“Good morning, Helix-nim.”

Sera rubbed her eyes sleepily, waking up at the same time as me.

She approached me and playfully bit my neck.

Of course, it wasn’t enough to hurt.

“What, are you grinding your teeth too, Sera?”

“Hehe, of course not. It’s revenge for last time.”

I blinked, not understanding Sera’s words for a moment.

Ah, she’s talking about when I bit her hand before.

“You’ve held onto that for a long time.”

“Yes, I’ve held onto it for a very~ long time.”

Sera stretched and got out of bed.

“Will you be seeing Saint-nim?”

“I should.”

“Yes, then please follow me. Ah, before that, shall we wash up first?”

I nodded.

My body was a mess, so it would be difficult to go see Camille like this.

“I’ll wash you. It won’t be in your baby dragon form, but that’s okay, right?”

I nodded silently.

Last night, we kissed, licked, and even intertwined our bodies.

There was no point in acting shy now; it would only make me a laughingstock.

*****

After finishing my bath, I immediately sought out Camille.

She was devoutly offering prayers in the temple’s chapel.

She made me intertwine my body with another woman, not my wife…

Yet she herself was aloof and alone, which made me resentful.

“You’ve come, Helix.”

“Yeah.”

“Did you go all the way?”

“Yeah.”

My words came out curt and blunt, but I couldn’t help it.

Because Camille was in the wrong.

“You’re very angry.”

“Wouldn’t you be, if it were you?”

“Hmm… you’re right. Thinking about it from your perspective, I am the worst wife.”

Camille smiled bitterly.

But there was no hint of regret in it.

Instead, there was only a sense of relief that a necessary task had finally been completed.

Nowhere did she look consumed by jealousy.

“Well, Helix is a man, so wouldn’t it be a bit different…?”

“What did you say…?”

I stared at Camille’s face for a moment.

Her eyes were calm, as if stating an obvious fact.

But what came out of her mouth was anything but calm.

“For women, purity is extremely important. The moment they lose it, they’re bound to be stoned socially. There are no exceptions, whether they’re royalty or commoners.”

“…”

“However, for a man, having embraced many women is more like a badge of honor. So, Helix, don’t take it too much to heart…”

“Stop.”

What kind of talk was I listening to right now?

“That’s not what I wanted to hear right now.”

“…”

At my words, Camille made a startled expression, then…

“I’m sorry.”

“I just… wanted to see you waver even a little. Even if you couldn’t stop this.”

“I… made a mistake with my words. I’m sorry, Helix.”

Camille apologized belatedly.

But it was already spilled milk.

“I feel miserable.”

“Huh?”

Camille’s eyes widened as if asking what I meant.

“Camille, what exactly am I to you?”

“Helix. That’s not it.”

“What do you mean, ‘it’s not’!”

I yelled at the flustered Camille.

My chest tightened painfully.

My vision blurred, and I quickly turned my back.

“Helix…”

“I’ll keep my promise. Just prepare the next one…”

“Helix..! Wait!”

I kicked the door open and left the chapel.

Camille urgently called out to me, but I ignored her and ran for a long time.

“Haa… haa…!!”

It was agonizing.

My pride felt like it was crumbling down.

I was so miserable I couldn’t bear it.

“Damn it…”

I ran and ran for a long time, arriving at a place I didn’t even know.

I plopped down on the stairs and choked back my tears.

As I suppressed my trembling shoulders, a sob escaped again.

This shouldn’t be happening.

If a dragon was crying somewhere, rumors would surely spread.

It might even cause trouble for Camille or the Dragon’s Priestesses.

“Um…”

Feeling a presence behind me, I sharply turned my head.

Thinking they might be priests from the Holy Dominion, I quickly wiped away my tears.

“W-what is it?”

Fortunately, they weren’t priests from the Holy Dominion.

The one who spoke to me was a silver-haired woman who looked to be around Camille’s age.

She was looking at me with a bewildered expression.

This place seemed to be where she resided.

“Sorry, I’ll leave right away…”

I sprang to my feet as if to flee.

To me, she suddenly held out something.

“E-excuse me..!”

“Huh?”

“If it’s alright, please use this…”

“…”

The woman offered me a white handkerchief.

Instead of taking the handkerchief, I asked her curtly.

“Why are you giving this to me…?”

“Y-you were crying, weren’t you…?”

“I wasn’t crying.”

I told a clumsy lie.

But the woman paid no mind and took a step closer to me…

“Please use it. You don’t have to return it.”

She gently pressed her handkerchief into my hand.

I would later hear that this woman’s name was Vivian.

The Empire’s 13th Empress, and…

The woman who would become my wife in my second life.