episode_0074

*

The Priest’s room, quiet on all sides.

On the bed filled with the Priest’s scent, Lucia slowly opened her eyes.

The blue darkness covering the room and the cold air touching her naked skin under the blanket told her it was early morning.

Lucia blinked a few times with eyes still not fully awake, then slowly took a deep breath through her nose, burying her face back in the bed.

The Priest’s scent filling her nostrils made her feel like she was still in a happy dream.

Lucia smiled at the deeply permeating happiness, rubbing her cheek against the bed.

“…Hmm,”

However, Lucia soon slowly raised herself up again.

Because she realized the Priest, who should have been sleeping next to her, wasn’t there.

In fact, if the Priest had been sleeping next to her, it wouldn’t have been so quiet.

His snoring was quite loud.

“…Priest?”

Lucia slowly lowered her legs from the bed.

The cold morning air touching her bare legs was chilly, so she slowly wrapped the blanket around herself and got out of bed.

Finding the Priest wasn’t difficult.

He was kneeling on the floor in the middle of the room.

“Priest… what are you doing…”

The Priest didn’t respond to Lucia’s words.

He was just kneeling on the floor with his head bowed, muttering something in a very small voice with his hands clasped together.

It wasn’t easy to hear, but Lucia realized it was a prayer.

“Forgive our sins…”

“Priest…”

Lucia stopped her feet heading towards the Priest and closed her mouth.

Because she didn’t want to disturb the Priest.

Slowly backing away, she sat back on the bed where she had been lying, silently waiting for his prayer to end.

Holding her breath and calming her excited mood, the content of his prayer gradually began to become clear to her ears.

He was confessing his sins.

He was asking to be punished, begging not to be forgiven for his sins.

Lucia swallowed softly.

The prayer continued until the dark blue light in the air had almost disappeared.

“…”

The Priest slowly rose from his place after finishing his prayer.

He slowly turned his head towards Lucia, then closed his eyes tightly and sighed.

“Did you sleep well, Lucia.”

“Yes… and you, Priest?”

“I… yes. I slept well too.”

Lucia could quickly realize that it was a lie.

The dark circles under his eyes and the empty eyes as if all his energy had been drained.

The Priest’s face looked like someone who hadn’t slept at all.

“Priest…”

“…”

“Um… is it perhaps because of… what happened last night…?”

Lucia asked in a trembling voice.

The Priest nodded and slowly approached Lucia, sitting next to her.

“We… no, I committed a sin.”

“…”

“Don’t worry, it’s not your fault, it’s entirely my fault.”

“What sin? Did I say I didn’t like it? Did you forcibly harass me?”

“You’re still young.”

Lucia lowered her head at the Priest’s firm tone.

The Priest continued, unconcerned by Lucia’s attitude.

“As time passed… as the heat in my head subsided… I realized more vividly what I had done.”

“What do you mean…”

The Priest slowly covered his face with both hands and continued.

“That was all there was. Impulse, heat…”

“Priest…”

“Just a desire that would subside over time… it was just that much, but I couldn’t overcome that impulse and I defiled you… that fact is too painful.”

The Priest’s voice was low.

It was a voice truly ashamed of his actions, immersed in deep regret and lamentation.

“…Priest.”

Lucia quietly clutched her chest.

She felt a heavy stone sinking into her heart, making her feel suffocated.

Last night was like a dream to me, the memory is so blissful and lovely,

But why does the Priest, the other party, look so tormented?

Was that time with me something to regret so much?

Lucia slightly grabbed his sleeve to pull down the Priest’s arm covering his face.

But unlike last night, his arm couldn’t be pulled down even a little with Lucia’s strength.

“…I… I’m not tormented.”

“…”

“I liked it so much. I want to keep doing it. I’m so… so happy, I’ll never regret it.”

“Lucia…”

“…Wasn’t it the same for you, Priest? Did you hate it so much…?”

Lucia muttered in a tearful voice.

The Priest shook his head slightly with his head bowed, and said.

“If I really hated it… I wouldn’t be this tormented.”

“…”

“I… I liked it too, so… so much…”

“Then why…”

“That’s why, it’s even more painful…”

“I can’t understand.”

The Priest slowly swept his hands covering his face upwards, grabbing his hair.

Then, he gripped his hair as if tearing it out with both hands and continued.

“I… enjoyed defiling you… I forgot my duty, the conscience a Cleric should have… and my responsibility as your protector… I… why…”

The Priest’s appearance, constantly blaming himself.

For some reason, Lucia felt familiar with that appearance.

“I’m disqualified… as a Priest, as an adult…”

“…Ah,”

Lucia realized.

Now, the Priest’s appearance was exactly the same as her own appearance, which was often swallowed by guilt whenever she recalled the fact that she had caused her parents and villagers to die when she was young.

Whenever I was this tormented, the Priest was looking at me like this.

Lucia nodded slightly and slowly opened her mouth.

To return the words he had given her whenever she was in pain.

“…It’s not your fault, Priest.”

“How can it not be my fault, I have to take responsibility…”

“Because, Priest, you were just possessed by a Devil.”

“…What?”

Lucia slowly closed her eyes, then opened them again very slowly.

Her blue sky-like eyes instantly turned bright red.

Lucia dyed both hands with a lifeless black color, and slowly took his hand down.

The Priest slowly lowered his arm at the strong grip with the Devil’s power, and met Lucia’s eyes.

“You told me, Priest, that my past… it’s not my fault… I’m just… a victim who was sacrificed to a Devil…”

“Yes, and that fact hasn’t changed even now. Just like what happened to you was the Devil’s responsibility, what happened last night is my responsibility. Not yours.”

“No, Priest… now I’ll return the words I heard from you. It’s not your fault.”

“…What?”

“You were just possessed by a nasty Devil…”

“…Lucia, what are you saying now.”

“Why are you pretending not to know? Priest… I’m a Devil.”

Lucia lightly shrugged and dropped the blanket she had draped over her shoulders.

Swoosh, the blanket fell weakly to the floor, draped over the bed, and Lucia’s pure white body, with not a single thread on it, unfolded once again before the Priest’s eyes.

The Priest stopped speaking.

Unlike the night before, when he could only see faintly in eyes accustomed to the dark, the morning sunlight that brightly illuminated the world was mercilessly exposing her body.

The curve from her slender waist to her hips, and her cute yet well-shaped breasts seemed to be clearly engraved in his eyes.

There would be no difference from her body that he felt relying on the senses of his skin and fingertips, but it was a different feeling to have that beauty clearly engraved in his eyes.

Lucia’s naked body, seen clearly, was as beautiful as he had felt in the darkness, and even more seductive than that.

The only difference from last night was her shoulders and arms, which were dyed black.

“Lucia…”

The Priest couldn’t take his eyes off Lucia’s body.

In the past, he would have consciously turned his head and told her to put on clothes, but the Priest who had learned the happiness that a woman’s body gives him couldn’t do that.

Lucia firmly held the Priest’s wrist and slowly said.

“I seduced you, Priest. With my will, because I wanted to, I seduced you… like this… taking it all off… spreading my legs shamelessly…”

“…No, it’s not, not true.”

“Because I wanted you to pounce on me, Priest.”

“Stop!”

The Priest shouted, striking Lucia’s hand away with Holy Power.

“Stop, don’t say those words anymore. Even if everyone else condemns you as a Devil, you, only you, shouldn’t say that to yourself.”

“…Priest.”

“Lucia, it’s not true… you are,”

“Priest… you really… don’t understand.”

Lucia shook her head.

“I’m grateful that you think well of me… but, you don’t know who I am to the very end…”

“…You’re Lucia. Not an Ebony Wolf. The Lucia I know is a shy and kind child who is considerate of others even while she is pained by past memories.”

“…Ha, hahaha.”

Lucia laughed and slowly approached the Priest.

Then, she slowly hugged his body and said.

“Priest, Lucia… isn’t that kind of child.”

“Stop hurting yourself…”

“I, I actually lied.”

“…What, what do you mean?”

Lucia slowly kissed the Priest’s lips.

The Priest naturally opened his lips and accepted her mouth and tongue.

It was a natural reaction he showed without realizing it because of the countless kisses they had shared last night.

Lucia hugged the Priest’s neck and shared a kiss, then slowly separated and smiled.

It was time to shatter the foolish Priest’s illusions.

“I, I actually, I lied about my body burning up and being in pain.”

“…!”

The Priest dropped his jaw as if he had received a great shock.

Lucia resolved herself as she looked at the Priest’s face.

The Priest might hate her, but rather than let him torture himself because of the happy time last night, it would be better for him to resent her.

That’s what she thought.

Absolutely, she couldn’t let the Priest be tormented because of her.

“I lied because I wanted you to touch me, Priest.”

“…Lucia,”

“Ah, I’m not just talking about last night… it was the same the day you touched my chest before…”

“…”

“…How is it? Priest is just a victim who was deceived by a Devil… right?”

Lucia brought her cheek to the Priest’s chest.

Thump thump.

She could hear his heart beating fast.

Was it because of excitement?

Or was it because of betrayal?

Lucia put her hand inside his top and hugged his waist in his bare skin.

It was a calculated action to make him feel disgusted by her vulgarity.

“So… this isn’t your fault, Priest.”

“Lucia…”

“So, Priest… please do a little more. Keep going… keep touching me.”

It was then.

Knock knock.

“Priest?”

Anna’s voice knocking on the door could be heard.

“…Anna?”

“Are you awake?”

“U-uh, uh… I’m awake.”

Lucia held her breath quietly, still clinging to the Priest’s chest.

Anna conveyed her message loudly from outside the door in her usual tone.

“Um… sorry, but can you help me with the morning preparations? I heard Elena is leaving around lunchtime today, and I want to give her a hearty meal.”

“…Ah, is that so?”

“Sola is still sleeping, and I can’t see where Lucia went.”

“Ah, okay, I’ll get dressed and go out.”

“Okay, I’ll be waiting in the kitchen in the dining building.”

With those words, Anna’s footsteps moving away from the door could be heard.

The Priest slowly pushed Lucia away and sighed softly.

“…Lucia.”

“Yes…”

“…”

The Priest swept his face with both hands, sighed, and pondered for a long time.

It seemed he was struggling with how to take the confession Lucia had uttered.

After hesitating for a long time, the Priest slowly got up from the bed and said in a low voice.

“I don’t know either… Let’s go help Anna for now, once all the work is done today, be sure to… do Repentance Prayer.”

Repentance Prayer.

At those words, Lucia smiled weakly and replied.

“…Is that all?”

“For now… yes.”

“Priest…”

“Why?”

“…Are you stupid?”

Lucia shook her head in disbelief.

“I, I lied to you, Priest. I deceived you for my desires, and made you commit a sin… And, you’re just going to do Repentance Prayer? Will you forgive me with that?”

“…Yes.”

“How…? How can you do that?”

“You know. I don’t judge sin.”

Is it only the Goddess who judges sins?

Lucia retorted as if she was dumbfounded.

“Then why were you so tormented!”

“That’s just a matter of my conscience.”

“Ha…”

Lucia was dumbfounded.

She confessed her evil nature.

She confessed that she had falsely feigned a fever to get the Priest’s attention.

She clearly revealed that she was an ungrateful Devil who had dragged him into sin, wanting to obey him, wanting him to take her like a dog.

But, the Priest was so tormented by the fact that he had committed a sin, yet he forgave Lucia so lightly.

How could he do that?

Lucia couldn’t understand at all.

“Aren’t you… disappointed?”

“I’m disappointed. I’m also angry… To be honest, I also feel miserable.”

“Then why…”

“…”

The Priest closed his eyes tightly, then slowly lifted Lucia’s chin.

Lucia’s head slowly followed the Priest’s gesture.

In her trembling red eyes, the Priest’s afterimage grew larger and larger.

His face was coming closer.

The Priest kissed Lucia’s lips as they were.

“Mmph,”

“…”

“Haa… Slurp”

“…Hoo,”

“Pff… P, Priest.”

The Priest patted Lucia’s head lightly and said.

“I… I wanted that a little too.”

“…Huh?”

“Now it’s my fault. Right? Now, hurry up and get dressed.”

Lucia stared at the Priest with dazed eyes.

An intense impulse to expose her stomach and lie down on the bed was raging in Lucia’s head.