《What to Do at Night》 Chapter 0 ¡°Riel.¡± Ariel swallowed nervously when she heard Arsion calling for her. Had he already freshened up before her arrival? Arsion¡¯s short hair was still slick; it hadn¡¯t been dried off yet. His body oozed warmth and smelled of refreshing herbs. Ariel, who unconsciously inhaled the scent, blushed when she felt it blend in with Arsion¡¯s natural scent. Did he notice it? A soft smile appeared on Arsion¡¯s face. He reached out to Ariel and said, ¡°Come here.¡± If this had been in the past, she would¡¯ve immediately gone to him and seated herself by his side without giving it a single forethought; however, now, she was hesitant. Arsion¡¯s eyes narrowed at her display of hesitation. ¡°Come on.¡± Ariel flinched at the words. The softness in his voice was the same as before, but somehow his tone had a hint of an authoritative declaration, so overwhelming that she couldn¡¯t bring herself to decline. ¡°Sion¡­¡­¡± Ariel called him with a slight tremble in her voice. Then Arsion came closer to her as if he couldn¡¯t wait any longer. He only took a single step, but before she knew it, a huge, gargantuan figure obstructed her vision. Slowly raising her head, Ariel blankly looked at Arsion¡¯s face, which was dubbed ¡°God¡¯s Gift.¡± Arsion¡¯s smile deepened at Ariel¡¯s gaze. He stretched out his hand toward her. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± The moment his hand touched her, Ariel frantically suppressed a scream from breaking out. It was because Arsion¡¯s hands gently grabbed her breasts. As she was in a nightgown that was as thin and delicate as a dragonfly¡¯s wings, his sudden touch was akin to him touching her bare. Arsion¡¯s grasp tightened as he lifted her swollen breasts as if supporting them. ¡°Heuk¡­..!¡± Ariel couldn¡¯t stand the feeling of being squeezed so tightly and let out a groan. Even at that sound, Arsion did not remove his hand but rather fondled her breast as if kneading bread dough. ¡°Oh¡­.. haa¡­¡­ umm¡­.. Sion! Slo-slow down!¡± Ariel was startled and tried to back away from him, but Arsion¡¯s arm held her firmly by the waist. Everything was composed and proper, everything but the busy hand playing with her breasts; it was rough and violent. Ariel lost all her strength in an instant at the sudden stimulation. A tingling sensation that began at the tip of her chest gradually spread throughout her body. ¡°Ah¡­¡­ ngg¡­¡­ um!¡± She gasped desperately for breath as her moans shortened. Then, Arsion¡¯s finger grabbed the nipple that poked out of the fabric and twisted it. ¡°Ah¡­.. oh!¡± Ariel¡¯s vision turned white and her legs went completely soft. Fortunately, Arsion¡¯s other arm held her firm, preventing her from falling on the floor in an unsightly manner. While Ariel was panting from her unfinished climax, Arsion hugged her and placed her on the edge of the bed. Then he knelt in front of her. He was looking at her with a passionate but naive look, like a puppy awaiting praise. From that glance, Ariel realized what he was waiting for. Arsion¡¯s act of touching and massaging her breast a while ago was yesterday¡¯s ¡®review¡¯. Now that the ¡®review¡¯ was over, it was time to praise him for doing well and move on to ¡®today¡¯s¡¯ progress. ¡®But¡­¡­¡¯ Ariel¡¯s face burned as bright as a ripe apple. Yesterday was the end of fondling over the clothes. Today¡­¡­ it was no longer over the clothes, but bare skin. The fact kept making Ariel hesitate. ¡°Riel, does it hurt? If that¡¯s the case¡­¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that!¡± Arsion, who was looking at her worriedly, tried to get up but Ariel quickly grabbed his clothes. ¡®Oh no, you can¡¯t turn back now.¡¯ Ariel squeezed her eyes shut and pulled the end of her ribbon. The skimpy nightgown she had been wearing on purpose slid down effortlessly with a single pull of her hand. Ariel, who tried to take it off herself, instinctively hugged the falling nightgown in her arms. But soon, her nightgown fell to the floor. It was because Arsion had tugged at her wrist. ¡°¡­¡­ Sion?¡± Ariel followed his gaze to where it was affixed; on her pale breast, where his red handprints remained. Pink nipples stood erect under the cool caress of the night air. Arsion¡¯s eyes looked at her as if they were licking them. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± A belated sense of shame overcame her. She tried to cover her chest with her arm, but Arsion didn¡¯t loosen his grip on her wrist. ¡°Riel.¡± The voice calling her had become low. No, it didn¡¯t sound like a human voice, but somehow sounded more like a beast¡¯s growl. Arsion¡¯s face slowly descended to her chest. Ariel trembled unconsciously as she felt his rough breath brush the end of her nipple. Seeing her tremble, Arsion asked. ¡°Can I suck your breasts?¡± There was no shame or hesitation on Arsion¡¯s face as he spat out the lewd words that made her mind go numb. Looking at his face full of innocence as if he had merely asked if he could eat candy, Ariel realised that she had to feel embarrassed for his sake, too. ¡®Now, Arsion doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯s going to do. If so, should I stop¡­¡­?¡¯ But instead of stopping him, Ariel weakly nodded her head. Arsion, on being granted permission, opened his mouth wide without hesitation and devoured her plump white breast greedily. Suck. The obscene sounds of sucking flesh echoed in the room. However, Ariel couldn¡¯t afford to care about the sounds now. Arsion, who had been sucking her breast as if he would pluck it out, was now using his tongue to lick her erect nipples. ¡°Sion, Sion! Ha¡­¡­ aah! St-Stop!¡± Surprised by his strength, Ariel¡¯s body flailed, but Arsion, who had buried his face in her chest, continued to greedily covet her breast, ignoring her pleas. While one of her breasts was being sucked by Arsion¡¯s mouth, the other was occasionally being pulled and kneaded as if his hand wouldn¡¯t leave it alone. The soft flesh was squeezed and kneaded into different shapes under his hand. ¡®Goodness!¡¯ Ariel wanted to faint right away seeing Arsion frantically cling to her like this. What would happen if people find out that Arsion had done something like this? Arsion would soon become a paladin. But if anyone finds out that he coveted a woman like this¡­¡­ ¡®He will be excommunicated.¡¯ If that happens, then Arsion would never be able to become a paladin. Ariel bit her lips as soon as she remembered this detail. The stigma that Arsion would have to carry for the rest of his life was exactly what she wanted. Ariel recalled the goal she had been trying to achieve over the past few days. That was to corrupt Arsion using her body and prevent him from becoming a paladin. That was what Ariel wanted. Chapter 1 One day in March, the high society was turned upside down by a rumour that flew into the capital along with the warm spring breeze. ¡°Sir Arsion is trying to become a paladin? But I¡¯ve heard that he¡¯d return after he was done with his apprenticeship.¡± ¡°I know, right? I too thought he¡¯d be back in the capital soon¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No, more than that, isn¡¯t Sir Arsion the sole heir to Duke Hastings? If he does become a paladin, then who will succeed the duke?¡± The first thing people were worried about was who would succeed the Duke. Duke Hastings had only one child, Arsion. This was why people unavoidably began to call Arsion ¡°Little Duke Hastings¡± since they believed him to be the next duke. So, how could someone like Arsion become a paladin? A person could only become a paladin if he decided to devote his body and mind completely to the goddess and pledged abstinence; by extension, celibacy in both body and mind and by logic it meant that a paladin couldn¡¯t have a successor. ¡°If Sir Arsion really becomes a paladin, it will become hard to see him anymore, right?¡± Despair tinged the face of the young lady as she asked that. The faces of the other accompanying young ladies were no different. They couldn¡¯t see Arsion anymore. It was really something to despair over for the woman in the high society. Arsion wasn¡¯t only famous because of his status as the sole heir to Duke Hastings. Of course, that fact alone would make him desirable, but the reason why everyone in high society liked him was because of his devastatingly beautiful and splendid appearance, which also earned him the nickname: ¡°A gift from God¡±. When he first debuted in the social circle, everyone irrespective of their age or gender just kept looking at him and no one danced that night even though music kept playing. Even now, after so many years, people kept on eagerly talking about it as if it were yesterday. One of the women who was gushing over Arsion grinned and said, ¡°By the way ¡­ what will happen to Lady Ariel, now?¡± Ariel. As soon as the name came out, the faces of the young ladies who were talking about Arsion turned stiff. The more praises poured for Arsion, the more they hated that name. It was because Ariel was Arsion¡¯s fianc¨¦e. ¡°Of course their engagement will be annulled.¡± ¡°Oh my! It won¡¯t be easy for her to find a new marriage prospect now.¡± There wasn¡¯t a twinge of sad pity in the voice of the lady who said that. No, rather it was dripped with glee. These young ladies of noble families were always envious of Ariel. Ariel Bellford. She was the second daughter of Baron Bellford, a retainer of Duke Hastings. She had nothing to offer besides her pretty face. In fact, even though she was pretty, her appearance wasn¡¯t good enough to be the talk of the social circles where there were many ladies who¡¯d beat her in terms of appearance and beauty. Nevertheless, Ariel received a distinctive special treatment in high society; the crown princess always had her by her side, and the duke¡¯s main residence, which was an unreachable place for many, was like Ariel¡¯s home. They were already envious of the fact that she was Arsion¡¯s fianc¨¦e, but when Ariel was treated like that, their envy towards her grew day by day. ¡°I heard that when she was six, Lady Ariel begged Sir Arsion to get engaged with her and he promised to do it. Their engagement is a result of that promise. ¡± ¡°I¡¯ve also heard about it. In fact, even though they¡¯re engaged, isn¡¯t it actually that the Hastings haven¡¯t promised to be engaged in writing?¡± ¡°So you mean to say that Lady Ariel has been going around getting treated as Sir Arsion¡¯s fianc¨¦e until now even though their engagement has no legitimacy?¡± ¡°Oh my God! How shameless!¡± ¡°Well, the daughter of a baron, who has no fief, finally seized the opportunity to become the mistress of a duchy. Do you think she would let this chance go so easily? If that¡¯s the case, she really doesn¡¯t know her place¡­¡­¡± As time passed the young ladies¡¯ voices grew sharper and sharper. Today, they were all determined to vent out all their hostility against Ariel, which they had held back for so long. They were all so immersed and self-absorbed in their conversation that they didn¡¯t notice Ariel, who was wearing a wide-brimmed hat, getting up from her seat not too far away from them. ¡°Ha¡­¡­.¡± Ariel left the palace after she was done listening to their gossip and sighed as soon as she got on her carriage. She told the coachman to head home and then closed her eyes. She felt nauseous and her head was dizzy. Ariel knew very well that it wasn¡¯t because of the shaking of the carriage. The words from earlier rang in her ear. Shameless. Someone who doesn¡¯t know her place. Ariel bowed her head. She herself knew very well that she was such a person. Ariel recalled the incidents from a time long ago. Although her father held the title of Baron, his status was in fact close to that of a commoner. By her grandfather¡¯s time, her family¡¯s fortune had dried out, and they had long sold their palm-sized estate to make a living. Ariel¡¯s family somehow managed to make ends meet thanks to her father¡¯s talent in accounting. It was only when Duke Hastings recognized her father¡¯s abilities and made him his retainer that their lives changed and they no longer had to help their distant relatives in a rural village. Her father was given the retainers¡¯ lodging that was located in the remote corner of the duke¡¯s estate. While the main household was off-limits for most of the staff, the duke¡¯s large garden was open to all servants. Because of this, Ariel was excited about the new playground and was busy wandering around from morning to evening. One day, Ariel saw a small building on one side of the garden. It was quite clear that it was a shrine built in the duke¡¯s mansion. The building had no doors but there was a large statue of the Goddess inside, like the ones she had seen at the shrines every weekend. ¡®Is there no one here?¡¯ The shrine near her previous house always had villagers in it, but in this shrine, there was no sign of life, only burning candles occupying their place inside the shrine. Ariel was used to always wandering alone. The shrine had a different air around it from the shrines she had seen and she soon felt sleepy. She thought it must have been because she ate a lot of lunch before going out. ¡®Shall I get some sleep?¡¯ The silence inside made her feel drowsier. Ariel looked around the shrine and noticed something like a large basket covered with a soft cloth. It was big enough to fit a 6-year-old child if he or she¡¯d curled up. Ariel climbed up without even knowing what it was and laid down in it. The soft cloth that rubbed against her face felt good. It smelled good too. ¡°Hmm ¡­¡± Ariel closed her eyes and fell asleep very quickly. How long has it been? Ariel woke up and rubbed her eyes. Her little head couldn¡¯t remember where she was, or why she had slept here. All she knew was that it was getting dark because the sun was already setting. Ariel was suddenly terrified. ¡®Mom said that if I walk around late at night, a monster will come and eat me.¡¯ Of course, this was inside the dukedom and if she went back by the path she came here she¡¯d be home in no time, but a 6 year-old¡¯s mind couldn¡¯t think that far. In addition, the chilly evening air brushing against her just-woken-up warm body intensified the terror. Just when tears started to well up in her frightened eyes, ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± Ariel turned her head to the sudden voice. At the moment, she had every right to scream from the sudden surprise, but instead, she just kept blinking her eyes without saying anything. It was because¡­.. ¡°¡­¡­.Mister Angel?¡± ¡­¡­Because a boy¡ªwith a face so unbelievably beautiful that he couldn¡¯t be mistaken for a human¡ªwas looking back at her. ¡®Even though he¡¯s an angel, he doesn¡¯t have wings?¡¯ Ariel with her mouth agape stared blankly at the boy who told her not to cry. That was Arsion¡¯s first encounter with Ariel. Arsion lightly kissed a mesmerized Ariel¡¯s cheek while comforting her not to cry. When Ariel mentioned she had to go home, he asked what her name was, where she lived, and how she got here. ¡°I¡¯ll take you there. And my name is Arsion.¡± ¡°Arsion?¡± Has there been an angel with that name? Anyway, her fear of waking up in an unfamiliar place had completely disappeared. It was the first time she was not afraid of monsters while walking on a dark road. She thought it was all thanks to the mister angel holding her hand. She wondered what she would do if by any chance Mister Angel disappeared after taking her home. Ariel tightened her grip on Arsion¡¯s hand. Her sweaty palms must¡¯ve been unpleasant, but Arsion did not show any signs of disgust. Rather, he held her hand tightly as if to comfort her. Ariel told Arsion as they arrived at her home after walking for some time at a slow pace. ¡°That¡¯s my house!¡± Just then, Ariel¡¯s mother, who was pacing around anxiously in front of their house, found her daughter. She ran towards Ariel frantically and hugged her. ¡°Ariel, where have you been? Your dad went out looking for you!¡± Ariel¡¯s mother, who hurriedly checked her daughter for injuries, picked Ariel up and smacked her on her butt after confirming that Ariel was fine. Ariel¡¯s father, who had returned to his house after searching for his daughter for a long time, looked worriedly at his daughter who held onto the little duke¡¯s hand and was saying, ¡°The angel brought me here!¡± The scene caused his face to almost look as if he was about to breathe his last. Only then did Ariel learn that the boy was not an angel, but the only son of the duke. ¡°Li-Little Duke1, if by any chance my daughter was rude¡­¡­¡± Ariel¡¯s father carefully asked Arison, already imagining being fired from a job he had just found. Contrary to her father¡¯s concerns, Arsion smiled and turned to Ariel. ¡°Let¡¯s play together tomorrow!¡± Because of this, Ariel¡¯s father¡¯s complexion turned paler and paler by the second. Next day, he visited the duke at the crack of dawn, telling him what had transpired yesterday and sought for his forgiveness. However, contrary to his concerns, the duke listened quietly and told him not to worry and let the two kids do what they wanted. Ariel¡¯s father didn¡¯t notice because he was bowing his head, but the duke¡¯s expression was full of surprise when he said that. Perhaps it was due to the lack of other children their age, after that fateful encounter, Ariel and Arsion quickly became close and spent more and more time together. As a result, Ariel began to call Arsion by the nickname, ¡®Sion¡¯, and Arsion also began to call her ¡®Riel¡¯. Then one day, Ariel¡¯s birthday came. Her parents gave Ariel the big doll she wanted, and her sister gave Ariel her favourite fairy tale book. She didn¡¯t expect Arsion to come because she knew he had left together with Duke Hastings to inspect their ducal territory. ¡®Still, I wish Arsion was here¡­¡­¡¯ Ariel was sad, but her mother¡¯s cake filled with only her favourite fruits soothed her a little. So, she tried hard to forget about Arsion¡¯s absence due to work. It was when she picked up the toy knife, laughing at her sister¡¯s urging to cut the cake. Bang bang bang! ¡°Riel!¡± When everyone was wondering who had come visiting, they heard a voice from outside. ¡°Sion? Is it Sion?¡± Arsion was the only one who called her Riel. Ariel threw away the cake knife in her hand and ran to open the door. There stood Arsion, in a state completely in contrast with his usual neat appearance. He had come to her in haste so his hair was messed up and his forehead glistened with sweat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Riel. It¡¯s your birthday and I couldn¡¯t even prepare a gift¡­¡­.¡± Tears welled up in Ariel¡¯s eyes at those words. Actually, she had never considered wanting a gift from him. She was just upset that Arsion, who was with her every day, was not by her side today. The sorrow she had forgotten suddenly came back rushing at the words of his apology. Eventually, Ariel ended up crying her heart out before Arsion. Seeing Ariel like that, Arsion was flustered and he didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°Riel, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m terribly sorry. I¡¯ll always be by your side on your birthday from now on.¡± ¡°Sniff, sniff¡­¡­¡± That didn¡¯t stop Ariel¡¯s crying. Then Arsion hugged Ariel and lifted her up. Even though they were of a similar size, he lifted her up so easily as if he was lifting a cotton doll and soothed the crying Ariel. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll give you anything you want. Everything you want.¡± Because Arsion¡¯s voice soothing her was nice, Ariel sniffled a little more and soon stopped crying. Then she said to Arsion, ¡°Then marry me!¡± Ariel didn¡¯t know what marriage was. She just knew that they could sleep in bed together at night if they were married. And when she heard that, she told her father, ¡°Then I will marry Sion!¡± She didn¡¯t know why, but her father scolded her to death and warned her not to say this in front of anyone even as a joke. Maybe Arsion would marry her if she begged him now. Worried that Arsion might be angry like her father, Ariel secretly studied his face. But he glanced at her with bright eyes and replied with a bright smile as if he had gotten a present. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get married.¡± This was how Ariel and Arsion¡¯s marriage was decided. After a while, Ariel¡¯s father immediately knelt down when he saw the Duke following Arsion. It was because when the duke saw Arsion smiling while holding Ariel in his arms, his face turned stiff as if he had seen something unbelievable. The baron wondered what to do. ¡®What on earth should I say to apologize for this rudeness? Would I lose this job right away from tomorrow onwards? If I crawl on all fours and apologize, would the duke let this go? If I had known this would happen, I would have quit my work and left from here before Ariel could become friends with Little Duke.¡¯ When Ariel¡¯s father was at a loss as to what to do, Duke Hastings turned around and shouted at his vassals. ¡°From today onwards, you will treat Ariel as a member of the Hastings ducal family.¡± At that, everyone present in the room opened their mouths in amazement. They knew that the duke cherished his son very much, but they found it hard to believe that the duke would accept just any woman as his son¡¯s fiancee just because his son wanted it. Anyway, that was how Ariel became Arsion¡¯s fianc¨¦e. It had been 14 years now since that incident. Hello everyone. I was stockpiling for this novel but I just got to know that another group has picked it up. I did try contacting the translator of that group but I couldn¡¯t find any means. Well, I don¡¯t know what to do for now. I¡¯ll just post whatever I¡¯ve translated. Hope you guys enjoyed the novel.^_^ Chapter 2 - The Three Years of Heartbreak The rumor spread fast and far. Every day at Ariel¡¯s house, all kinds of party invitations arrived to see if she would attend in order to confirm it for themselves. Ariel, who had been returning the incoming letters that arrived each day with a reply of refusal, paused and sighed when she encountered an envelope with a gold seal. The golden seal belonged to the royal family. It was obvious who had sent her the invitation. ¡°I cannot refuse Her Highness¡¯ invitation¡­¡­.¡± Ever since her debut to society, the crown princess constantly requested for Ariel¡¯s company by her side. People suspected that her actions were to indicate Ariel¡¯s title as the future duchess. Of course, Ariel realized that as well. People said that the crown princess had a strange personality. In fact, Ariel couldn¡¯t bring herself to say she¡¯s eccentric, so she didn¡¯t. The crown princess seldom summoned the same people to her side once she got bored of their company. In addition, people rarely approached her due to her unpredictable tempers. No one dared voice their true opinions. Her intelligence and perceptiveness made the princess a formidable enemy to those who opposed her and that frightened those around her half to death. A very particular person indeed. Ariel knew that their relationship was not supported by her status. The baron¡¯s daughter, worth next to nothing, should not have the privilege of standing next to the crown princess. Yet she called Ariel every time she held an event. In Arsion¡¯s absence, she paid extra attention to Ariel. As if she refused to lose to Arsion, the Princess gave Ariel gifts more lavish than the ones Arsion had given to her. Ariel once refused to accept the Princess¡¯ gifts out of embarrassment, but had no choice except to receive them with tears in her eyes because Her Highness threatened, somewhat seriously, ¡°How dare you decline gifts from the Crown Princess and send them back?¡± It was a widely-spread, false rumor and there¡¯s no way that the crown princess herself wouldn¡¯t have heard¡­ ¡®She probably wants to confirm them herself.¡¯ The surest way to confirm would surely be to call in Ariel rather than to believe in false rumors. Ariel sighed and grabbed the pen. ¡°Maybe this is the last time.¡± ¡®If I break up with Arsion, I will no longer be invited by the crown princess. This will also be the last time I visit the royal family.¡¯ Ariel sighed again after writing a ¡®thank you¡¯ on the reply letter that indicated her attendance. She had already been stressed, thinking about what kind of expression she should wear when meeting the crown princess, but what¡¯s worse was that the other young girls attending would no doubt whisper about her and Arsion. ¡®But what am I supposed to say to them?¡¯ She didn¡¯t know much about Arsion either. Suddenly, resentment towards Arsion flared up. If he was planning to be a holy knight, he could have at least sent her a letter. ¡®That¡¯s right¡­¡­ Come to think of it, he left in a hurry last time too.¡¯ Ariel shed tears as she recalled Arsion¡¯s departure. There was a reason why Ariel thought he wanted to be a holy knight to break up with her. Three years ago, Ariel was seriously ill. At first, she thought it was a cold, but the next day, she had a fever and struggled to even open her eyes and she coughed nonstop. The next day, Ariel¡¯s father found her unmoving on the bed, unconscious. When she opened her eyes again, Ariel found herself face to face with a hardened-faced Arsion. Ariel, who noticed Arsion¡¯s tense mood, reached out in welcome, but Arsion did not hold her hand. Instead, he just muttered something with a serious expression, one that she had never seen before. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Riel.¡± It was so sad to see Arsion, who was usually sweet and gentle, look so disappointed in himself. Just like last time, Ariel was out of her mind, crying hysterically. Then a few days later, when Ariel came to her senses, her fever, which had been tormenting her ruthlessly, quickly dropped. When Ariel entered the bathroom to wash up and go have a meal properly for the first time in a few days, she screamed. ¡°What is this¡­¡­?¡± Not only her body, but also her face were full of blotches like heat hives. Ariel, who was surprised by the horrendous appearance herself, suddenly remembered the expression Arsion made when he visited her earlier. Then, Ariel went to see the Duke of Hastings. It was then she would find out that Arsion had suddenly left for the temple without stating when he would return. That day, Arsion was told that he had to attend the temple for mandatory service. But Ariel couldn¡¯t understand why any member of the aristocracy would go to the most dangerous city, the capital, to work on the temples when they were already donating money. Ariel couldn¡¯t get the look on Arsion¡¯s face out of her head. His expression was hardened and serious, as if he was looking at something scary. And with Arsion¡¯s departure to the capital, Ariel couldn¡¯t help but think that he was trying to avoid her. A few weeks later, her face returned to its original state, but Ariel had not raised her head since then. She kept thinking about her reflection when she looked in the mirror that day. Bloated eyes and patchy skin. Ariel had a hunch. That Arsion was horrified by her appearance. * * * Despite Ariel¡¯s prayers for rain to postpone the event, the day of the tea party was vibrant with plenty of sunlight. Ariel got out of the carriage, looking begrudgingly at the beautiful sky and the little white cloud drifting amongst the sea of blue. ¡°Lady Ariel has arrived.¡± Sure enough, as soon as Ariel got off, all eyes fell on her. Ariel bowed her head and her skin prickled under their gazes. As she hurried inside, the crown princess was still welcoming the participants and sponsors of the party. ¡°Ariel, thank you for coming.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor to attend, Your Highness.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting since morning. I have a lot to say.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Ariel bowed her head, embarrassed by the words. She knew that the princess would be curious about the rumors surrounding Arsion, but she didn¡¯t expect to be asked so soon. ¡®What do I do?¡¯ She should also say that she had not heard from Arsion. Ariel¡¯s face turned red at the thought. Somehow, it must be embarrassing for the crown princess to find out that Ariel, the irrelevant bride-to-be, had not received word that her fianc¨¦ left abruptly to become a holy knight and will soon take a vow of chastity. ¡°As for Arsion¡­ I¡¯d better talk about him later.¡± The crown princess tried to continue speaking to Ariel a little longer, but the line of newly arrived guests still waiting to greet her only grew longer. She sent Ariel a helpless and apologetic look. Ariel, who stepped down, was about to sit next to the crown princess as usual, but instead chose the seat in the corner. Someone who saw Ariel muttered beside her, ¡°Now you¡¯re in the right seat.¡± (PR/N: As in ¡°You finally know your place.¡±) ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Ariel almost replied with, ¡®I know, I know¡¯. It was obvious who had spoken. They were the same people who adored Arsion and loved to gossip about his fianc¨¦e. Ariel turned her head as if she hadn¡¯t heard. This time, another opponent appeared. ¡®¡­Of all people-¡¯ For the three years Arsion had been gone, this girl believed that it was an honor to pick a fight with Ariel every time she saw her face. Sure enough, the girl joined the ladies chattering near Ariel. ¡°Will Arsion really be a holy knight?¡± ¡°Yes, but I knew he¡¯d volunteer one day. He¡¯s never missed holy temple events and he¡¯s always been very religious. It¡¯s probably only natural for him to be a holy knight.¡± ¡°Indeed. But¡­ What will happen to his engagement?¡± Ariel almost said out loud in a curt manner, ¡®I¡¯d like to know as well.¡¯ Such a perfect coincidence that Ariel could hear them so clearly. ¡°A holy knight cannot embrace a woman of this world. Of course they¡¯ll break up.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ What a shame. Poor thing.¡± At this point, Ariel shrugged and complemplated if talking to them would make a difference. She wanted to cut into the conversation, but she knew they would ignore her and keep glaring at the back of her head. ¡°But honestly, why is he in such an unbecoming engagement, regardless of how much that girl must¡¯ve begged him?¡± ¡°You know¡­¡­ I¡¯ve heard something recently. A long time ago, my cousin asked Arsion. ¡®Why did you get engaged at such a young age?¡¯ And then Arsion gave him a surprising answer.¡± ¡®Oh? I¡¯ve never heard of this before.¡¯ Ariel unwittingly listened to the voices behind her. What on earth did Arsion say to cause such a reaction? ¡°What did he say?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ He replied, ¡®Because I was lazy.¡¯¡± ¡°What? Because he was lazy?¡± Ariel¡¯s head spun as she heard that. What did he mean? Did he settle on Ariel because he was too lazy to find another partner? ¡°Oh, did we bother him?¡± It was a question Ariel wanted to ask. Who wouldn¡¯t find it irritating? Would it bother you if people were gossiping about your engagement? ¡°Well, he said he didn¡¯t say anything else. So I thought about it¡­ Arsion has been proposed to by many families since the moment he was born.¡± The story had been told by Duchess Arildo¡¯s maids countless times. As soon as the news spread that the Hastings¡¯ household had a baby boy, letters came flooding in and the pile eventually surpassed the height of a grown man since all noble families with a daughter sent a marriage proposal. The Duchess of Arildo even wrote that she believed their soon-to-be-born child would be a girl, so she asked the Duke of Hastings to consider her unbirthed baby as a candidate for Arsion. ¡°Yes, but why is it that he didn¡¯t he seek any of the candidates?¡± ¡°What Arsion said was that it¡¯s annoying¡­ Aren¡¯t the stories of marriage just stories? Think about it. Ever since he got engaged, there have been no more proposals for fear of appearing rude.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± For a moment, everyone shut up. ¡°Okay, wait a minute. But Arsion wouldn¡¯t have gotten engaged solely for that reason¡­.¡± ¡°At first, I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d do that either. But think about it carefully. Do you think Arsion would just simply break up? Given his personality, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be very sorry and compensate her however she wants. The partner is a young girl from a low aristocratic family, and considering Lord Arsion¡¯s personality, everyone can guess that they did not develop a deep relationship prematurely during the engagement period. Then¡­ It¡¯s not a huge loss for the girl. She can take the money and step down quietly without dishonor. No, Lord Arsion might even feel sorry for her and find her a replacement.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± With her mouth shut, Ariel prepared to stand up. This all happened because Arsion decided to become a holy knight. Thud. As Ariel stood up abruptly, the chair she was sitting on fell back. She turned around and made eye contact with the people who were gossiping a little while ago. Normally, they would have pretended otherwise, saying, ¡°Oh, the weather is nice today,¡± but everyone was silent when they saw Ariel¡¯s sheet-white face. ¡°I apologize¡­ Please tell Her Highness that I felt ill and had no choice but to head back first.¡± ¡°Oh, well, I¡¯ll do that.¡± Upon hearing the reply, Ariel quickly turned away. ¡®I¡¯m exhausted,¡¯ she thought to herself. ¡®¡­¡­I just want Arsion to hurry back and end things with me.¡¯ Ariel twisted the edges of her dress anxiously. Then, she could simply clean herself up and be stuck in the countryside with her relatives, far away from Arsion and his family. Then, after Arsion becomes a holy knight, people will just forget about Ariel. No, it won¡¯t matter if people don¡¯t forget. Outside of the capital, who would even recognize her from afar? Ariel looked back on the past 14 years of her life. After coming to the duke¡¯s residence and meeting Arsion, she spent every moment with him. To the point where she couldn¡¯t picture a life without him next to her. The past three years have felt unbelievably empty after Arsion¡¯s abrupt decision to leave. ¡®Maybe this is a good thing.¡¯ Maybe the last three years have just been practice for the break up. Either way, the last three years were incredibly lonely and Ariel couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. She didn¡¯t know if she could forget Arsion even after moving far away. ¡®Should I send a letter¡­?¡¯ She remembered a relative who came to visit once and told Ariel to visit her villa in the countryside. Ariel heard that it had great scenery. ¡®Let¡¯s try applying as a housekeeper there.¡¯ It was time for Ariel to move on with plans for her future, however sudden they might be. Some people passed by, glancing at Ariel and whispering. She couldn¡¯t wait to get out of here. Her ears were still ringing from what the young ladies had said behind her back just moments ago. Was that what Arsion was really thinking all along? Was he only friendly to her all because he planned to break up from the start? Did he think that it would be okay if he cared for her before ending things and looking for other marriage partners? The more she thought about Arsion, the more dazed she became. Ariel lowered her head and tears threatened to fall. At that moment, someone blocked her path. She tried to step aside and pass, but the person standing in front of her didn¡¯t move at all. Ariel was forced onto the soil of the flower beds, but the person who stopped only moved closer towards Ariel, as if to block her. Ariel, now worried, moved to the other side of the path, only to be blocked again. Only then did Ariel realize that this man was deliberately blocking her way. Who on earth would be so rude? ¡°Please step aside.¡± Out of annoyance, a curt voice came out of Ariel¡¯s mouth. Then the person standing in front of her opened his mouth. ¡°Riel, I haven¡¯t seen you in a while¡­ And you won¡¯t even show me your face?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Ariel¡¯s heart dropped when she heard her name. There¡¯s only one person in the world who calls her Riel. ¡°¡­¡­Sion?¡± Arsion was the only one who called Ariel, Riel, and Ariel was the only one who called Arsion, Sion. Ariel looked up slowly, embarrassed. Strange. She thought she¡¯d see Arsion¡¯s face when she looked up, but what greeted her instead was the chest of a man. A chest tightly fitted under a white robe. ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Arsion was only a little taller than Ariel. Their eyes were even if Ariel tiptoed a little. So who was this man looming over her? ¡®Even your voice¡­¡¯ Come to think of it, even the voice that called Riel was too low and husky to be Arsion¡¯s. She wanted to raise her head to check, but the tears around her eyes still threatened to fall. As she went to quickly wipe them with the back of her hand before raising her head, the man standing in front of Ariel stepped forward and brushed her cheeks gently. ¡°Riel, are you crying?¡± The hand that grabbed her face lifted her chin hastily, but gently. Only then, could Ariel look at the face of the man in front of her. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± She saw an image of heavenly perfection. ¡°Who¡­?¡± The only problem was that he wasn¡¯t the young, angelic boy she remembered. The Arsion in her memories was a very beautiful man. The person in front of her now was also beautiful. However, Arsion¡¯s beauty used to match that of a flower¡¯s, whereas now, the person in front of her had a piercing appearance, much like a blade. Strangely, She could see Arsion¡¯s face clearly, yet the person standing there was different. ¡°Si¡­¡­on¡­?¡± Ariel inhaled sharply. Before he left, his hair had been a little long, now it was cut short like any other knight. In addition, the soft jawline of a young, graceful boy, now elegantly framed dark eyebrows, big eyes, and a patrician nose. His face wasn¡¯t the only thing that changed. Arsion used to be on the thin side. The man draped in a robe had a wider, well-structured chest, evident through just a glance. The body standing in front of her reminded her of the chiseled sculptures around the palace. In addition, before he left, all she needed to do was raise her face slightly to meet his eyes, now she had to crane her neck to the point where it hurt to see his face. Ariel closed her mouth without realizing. It was definitely Arsion, but it wasn¡¯t the Arsion she remembered. ¡°Riel?¡± Was Ariel worried? Was that why she didn¡¯t say anything? Arsion bowed his head and gazed into her eyes. His voice had gotten much deeper, but Ariel could recognize the familiar tenderness with which he said her name. ¡°Sion¡­¡± At this moment, they were interrupted. ¡°Lord Arsion?¡± ¡°What? Arsion is here? Where? Where?¡± ¡°Oh my goodness, Arsion!¡± The moment word spread of his return, the tea party went berserk. People rushed and flocked around Arsion, trying to get in a word or so congratulating him on his return. In the meantime, exclamations of surprise, excitement, and delight came from all over the tables. The appearance of a large and masculine body might be a bit unfortunate compared to his beautiful appearance in the past, but Arsion was still very much attractive. The small scar on his face that he received while fighting an evil monster did not diminish his handsomeness, instead it added to his dangerous charm. It was only until the crown princess stepped in that the disturbance at the tea party calmed down a little. ¡°That¡¯s why nothing¡¯s going to be sorted out. Let¡¯s go inside the palace, Arsion.¡± She heard lamentations from all over the place at the order of the crown princess. Arsion replied, ¡°I see,¡± and came to Ariel¡¯s side and whispered. ¡°I have a lot of work to do here and there, so I think I¡¯ll be back home in a few days. Let¡¯s have a long conversation when I get back. See you later, Riel.¡± Arsion, who said so, kissed Ariel slightly on the forehead. Then he turned and escorted the crown princess into the palace. Ariel stood there dumbfounded, staring blankly at Arsion¡¯s broad back as he retreated. Soon, people like her who were absent-minded came to their senses and began to babble. But Ariel couldn¡¯t hear anything. She raised her hand slowly and touched her forehead. Arsion¡¯s body temperature seemed to still remain on her forehead. Soon Ariel¡¯s face turned bright red as if it would burst. Oh, my God. Ariel lowered her hand from her forehead and covered her mouth. Indeed, Arsion is back. * * * A week had passed since Arsion returned, but he had yet to return to the duke¡¯s estate. Ariel, who visited the main house just in case she could hear the news of Arsion, turned away after hearing that the little duke was not returning from the palace either. As she was walking in the hallway near his office, Ariel heard the voices from the duke¡¯s vassals gathering and talking. ¡°As for what reason Arsion hasn¡¯t come back yet, there must be some complicated issues.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter with the Duke¡¯s successor being held in the palace?¡± ¡°You know¡­¡­if the Little Duke really wants to be a holy knight, then there¡¯s a problem. Because you are the Duke with no other family, you have to set up another successor, but as you know, it¡¯s a matter of interfering with the royal family.¡± ¡°What, so he¡¯s really going to be a holy knight?¡± ¡°No, nothing is known yet, but there¡¯s nothing else that I suspect he¡¯s up to.¡± Listening to them, Ariel cautiously walked down the hall without making any sound. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t come to the main house anymore.¡¯ People here wouldn¡¯t give looks of contempt like the people outside the duke¡¯s estate. No, rather, they¡¯d feel sorry and sympathize with her. Ariel, however, found it more difficult to bear those gazes. When she hurried out of the main entrance, she saw a carriage rushing in. It was a large carriage pulled by eight horses which could be seen from a distance. ¡®The Duke?¡¯ That was a carriage only the Duke of Hastings could ride. Before the carriage could stop and the butler could come out to greet him, the duke opened the door and rushed into the mansion. Then the duke soon came out with something in his hand. ¡®That¡¯s¡­.¡¯ Ariel noticed what the wooden box that the duke had brought out was. It was because the duke had shown it to her when she went to the duke¡¯s office with Arsion one day. What did the duke say back then? ¡°This is the Duke¡¯s seal. It¡¯s only used for important matters.¡± But now the duke had brought it out. She then remembered the words of the vassals that she¡¯d heard in the hallway a while ago. The question of successors. Such a problem would certainly require the duke¡¯s seal. The duke found Ariel standing in the corner while he tried to get in the carriage as if he had to leave again immediately. Ariel, who was about to bow down immediately under the gaze she encountered, stood frozen at the sight of the duke¡¯s darkened face. The duke turned to Ariel and said with a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Ariel. I didn¡¯t expect this to happen¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What? What do you mean by that?¡±¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when I get back. What a mess Arsion is in¡­¡­ I¡¯m just sorry for you anyway.¡± The duke, who said so, tapped Ariel on the back of the hand, muttering, ¡°Everything will be fine,¡± and then went back into the carriage. Seeing the back of the carriage, Ariel trudged home. Now there was no doubt about it. The duke rushed out with a seal. He was sorry that he didn¡¯t expect this to happen. She remembered what she heard at the palace. He¡¯ll end his engagement with her and the duke will find her another marriage partner with a lot of money. Ariel sat on the bed and bit her lips. Now she had to admit it. Indeed, Arsion is about to become a holy knight. ¡®¡­¡­I don¡¯t want it.¡¯ She didn¡¯t even realize she liked him when she was too young. Until she held Arsion¡¯s hand and danced with him for the first time, she didn¡¯t know what she felt for him. However, after their first dance and her partner changed, when saw him smiling and holding hands with another woman, Ariel, for the first time, discovered that she could hate strangers that she didn¡¯t know. Since then, she had been able to endure even when she heard harsh words about her because she liked Arsion. So, she put up with shamelessness and ignorance of the subject. Even so, she wanted to be next to Arsion. She thought Arsion wanted it too. ¡®But¡­ if Arsion doesn¡¯t want to.¡¯ Then should she just give up? Ariel was lost in thought on her bed when she heard her mother calling her downstairs. ¡°Ariel, come down for a second!¡± When Ariel went down to see what she was calling for, her mother handed her a coat and said, ¡°I received them from the country yesterday, so I need you to bring them to your sister.¡± From honey to dried herbs on the table. There was a pile of things sent by relatives who came to play last time. Ariel muttered in a small voice when she saw it. ¡°¡­¡­If that¡¯s the case, you could just get it delivered.¡± At those words, her mother clicked her tongue and said, ¡°I¡¯m asking you because I want you to go outside. It¡¯s not good if a person is stuck in a room like this. Your head will feel worse and you¡¯ll become sick.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± When Ariel failed to respond, her mother sighed and said. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s just rumors. I can see how disturbed your mind is. Since you were a child, you¡¯ve been with the Little Duke¡­¡­. But let¡¯s just say it¡¯s a good thing. How many mean words you had to listen to. It¡¯ll be noisy for a while, but it¡¯s better in the long run. Besides, the Little Duke didn¡¯t meet another woman, and he said he¡¯d dedicate himself to the Goddess.¡± Ariel pouted at the word. ¡°A goddess is a woman, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°Hey, Ariel!¡± But Ariel didn¡¯t want to hear anymore, so she quickly put on her jacket and put the stuff on the table in the bag next to her. ¡°I¡¯ll be back!¡± She heard her mother calling her from behind, but Ariel quickly left the house with her heavy bag. * * * Her sister, who was already married, lived in a quiet place in the capital. Her sister was usually at home whenever she visited, but no matter how many times Ariel knocked on the door, she couldn¡¯t hear any movement inside. Since her plan to stay at her sister¡¯s house until evening went up in smoke, Ariel was worried about what she could do with her time now. Since it¡¯s difficult to continue carrying the large bag, she asked the next door neighbour to hold onto the stuff and left a letter in the mailbox. Turning around, she realized there was nowhere to go. Ariel was not without friends. After debuting in society, out of the many faces she had met, there were people who can be called friends. But she couldn¡¯t think of anyone she could turn to, to tell her troubles right now. ¡®I can¡¯t help it.¡¯ Ariel laughed bitterly at the fact that she didn¡¯t have a friend close enough to tell everything. She knew the reason why she didn¡¯t have such a friend the best. Her best friend since she was a child had always been Arsion. Arsion did not hide anything, he had no reason to. Arsion understood and comforted her to the point where she thought he was her alter ego. Such Arsion was now leaving her and trying to walk his own path. Ariel was disappointed by that. Arsion was inseparable to herself, but to Arsion, he could easily abandon her. So she had to understand and support Arsion¡¯s decision, but she only wanted to hold onto him and resent him. Ariel, who was walking down the street, had to bow in a hurry as she passed by the cake shop she used to go to. Because there were quite a few faces she knew. And then at the hat store. And at the stationery store. ¡®Why am I seeing so many people I know today?¡¯ She was going to stay out as long as she could because she was going to be nagged by her mother even if she went back. This was why she wanted to spend her time somewhere. At that time, Ariel¡¯s eyes, which were teary, saw a familiar store. ¡®There!¡¯ Ariel¡¯s eyes caught the secondhand bookstore, which she had visited several times. That place was run by an elderly woman who didn¡¯t pay much attention to the customers who visited. No one would mind her sitting there reading all day. Thinking so, Ariel opened the door and went inside. As expected, the owner, who was reading the book at the counter, nodded slightly and welcomed the customer. Ariel stroked the cat, who approached her, and turned inward. The smell of old books emanating from bookshelves filled with them put Ariel¡¯s mind at ease. In a place like this, no one who knew her would walk by. Thinking so, Ariel sat in a chair in the corner. Looking around the bookshelf, she saw some books she was curious about. She can pick a suitable number, check them out, and then purchase the decent ones to bring back home. Thinking so, Ariel took out the books bearing titles that stood out to her from the bookcase and put them on the table in front of the chair where she sat. Tak. Then, her hand slipped and a book fell onto the floor. Ariel bent down and picked up the book that fell. ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± Then she saw a book stuck in the bottom shelf covered with dust. ¡°¡­¡­What kind of book is this?¡± The reason why the book stood out among the many books was that it had a purple velvet cover that looked very luxurious. And on top of it, it had a gold pattern that was elegant and delicate enough to match up with the velvet. At a glance, it was a very expensive book made for a noble¡¯s small collection. But if that was the case, she wouldn¡¯t have been so interested. Because, there were even more luxurious books at the duke¡¯s house. Ariel reached out and took the book. Her eyes scanned the back and cover of the book. ¡°¡­¡­There¡¯s no title?¡± The title wasn¡¯t written anywhere in the book. Was it a notebook made to look like a book? But then the owner wouldn¡¯t have allowed this in their store. With a curious look, Ariel looked over the thick cover of the book. Fortunately, it seemed that it was not a notebook as there were printed letters visible on the inner cover. Ariel unwittingly read the title. ¡°Things to do at night¡­¡­?¡± It was a title she had never heard of. As soon as Ariel tried to open the book, she heard someone approaching. Ariel hurriedly closed the book and sat in a corner, hiding her presence. It was two young ladies near her age who approached where she hid. Did they also want to avoid people¡¯s prying eyes like Ariel? The two came into the corner and sat down without giving a glance to the bookshelf. Then they started talking. ¡°Is that true? Does he want to be a priest?¡± ¡°Yes, he said he¡¯s going to the temple next week. So he came to say goodbye for the last time¡­ You know it too. How much I liked him.¡± Ariel swallowed her breath upon hearing the story. The woman sniffling across the shelf was in a similar situation to herself. ¡°Horrible man. If you¡¯re going to be a priest, don¡¯t be interested in me. You confessed that you liked me at the festival, and now you¡¯re a priest! ¡°Hey, hey. Be quiet.¡± The woman who came in with the lady hurriedly stopped her crying friend. Then, as encouragement, she asked her friend. ¡°You¡¯re not gonna see him become a priest anyway, are you?¡± ¡°Of course. I can¡¯t let him go. I¡¯ll never let him go. So help me. There¡¯s got to be a way to stop him from becoming a priest.¡± Ariel¡¯s eyes widened at the words. What does she mean, a way to stop him from becoming a priest? Is there such a way? If there is such a way¡­. Ariel swallowed her breath and listened more to the conversation across from her. ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s a way. I don¡¯t know if you want to do it.¡± ¡°What should I do? I¡¯d do anything to stop him from becoming a priest. What do I need? Money? People?¡± When the crying woman asked, her friend answered firmly. ¡°No, all you need is your body.¡± Chapter 3 - To Entice An Innocent Man At those words, there was silence in the bookstore for a moment. ¡°¡­¡­Body?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Body?¡± Both Ariel and the woman¡¯s voice rang out at the same time when they heard her companion¡¯s answer. Thanks to the loud voice of the woman, Ariel¡¯s muttering was fortunately buried and could not be heard by the two. Ariel covered her mouth with her hand and listened again. How can her body stop someone from becoming a priest? Should she lie down in front of the door? Or did she have to hold on to him? Ariel wasn¡¯t the only one who couldn¡¯t understand, as the woman, who shouted then, asked her friend. ¡°What do you need a body for?¡± ¡°Oh, you really don¡¯t know? What are the conditions to be a priest to the goddess? It¡¯s a pure body. But if you spend a night with the opposite sex before entering the temple¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± When the woman heard the answer, her eyes widened and her mouth closed. She finally understood what her friend told her to do. ¡°That, that means¡­¡­ I¡¯ll be with him¡­¡­ You want me to spend the night with him?¡± ¡°Yes. It wasn¡¯t that he was entirely uninterested in you either. Are you going to kiss him while standing next to the goddess? He¡¯s a funny guy. Hey, I¡¯ll help to create an opportunity for you to knock him down.¡± Hearing this, the woman who was crying nodded as her friend clenched her fist with a determined face, as if they were embarking into an all-out war. Then, the bookstore owner¡¯s voice was heard from afar. ¡°What¡¯s going on there?¡± He seemed to be worried, wondering if there was a problem because the woman made a loud noise. ¡°Nothing, everything¡¯s okay!¡± Due to the owner¡¯s voice, the two women must have realized that this place was not suitable for further conversation about this topic, so as soon as they were ready, they went back to the entrance with a book. Ariel couldn¡¯t move for a long time even after the two women disappeared. ¡®Oh, my God, there is a way.¡¯ Just like they said. The body of a man who will return to the goddess should be a pure body that does not know the desires of the world. But what if he has a relationship with the opposite sex and becomes aware of desire? He¡¯ll be out, really out. ¡®All right, then right now¡­¡­!¡¯ Ariel, who was about to rise from her seat, realized a huge problem at that moment. Ariel did received sex education when she became older. That¡¯s why she knew what it meant to ¡®be with a man¡¯ a while ago. But the problem lied in the extent of Ariel¡¯s knowledge. She knew nothing more than the very basic sex education book avaliable in the kingdom. In her head, Ariel imagined herself knocking Arsion down. After a while, Ariel let out a long sigh. When? Where? What? She couldn¡¯t imagine what to do next. ¡®No, more than that¡­¡­.¡¯ Ariel knew very well that she herself was not sexually enticing. Honestly, she was not the beauty of the century. As soon as she was about to give up on these vain thoughts, Ariel noticed the book that was still in her hand. The book that secretly possessed the title . Ariel opened the book with a reckless touch, wanting to see what it was about before putting it back in place. As soon as the book¡¯s pages flew open, Ariel¡¯s eyes widened and her mouth opened. ¡°Hah!¡± Bang! With a thud, Ariel quickly slammed the book shut. Her eyes shook uncontrollably. Ariel couldn¡¯t believe what she just saw. ¡°This, this is¡­¡­.¡± Pulling her senses together, Ariel went through the memories that lingered in her head. There was a painting on one of the book pages, and it was obviously depicting a man and a woman, both naked¡­¡­. Within moments, Ariel¡¯s face turned red like a ripe apple. Ariel, who had been staring absent-mindedly for a long time, carefully turned the cover of the book again. There, the title caught her eye. ¡°No way¡­¡± At first, it was just a title, so she didn¡¯t think much about it. However, when she saw the picture inside and looked at the title again, the book seemed unusual. Ariel observed the inner cover. In there, was the headline of the book. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡®If there is a destiny, is this what it is?¡¯ Ariel, who looked over the book again, became certain. It was clear that this was a more outspoken sex education book that could be called the ¡®Night¡¯s Textbook of All Nights¡¯. Ariel quickly picked it up and headed to the entrance. As she approached the counter, Ariel was worried if her pounding heart could be heard. Did the shopkeeper know what this book was? It¡¯s a used bookstore with tens of thousands of books asleep covered in dust. Perhaps the owner cannot remember all the books. ¡®Will that really be the case?¡¯ The cover of the book was unique, which was why she even took it from an area on the floor. Then, wouldn¡¯t the bookstore owner remember it? It was as if her mind was in a whirlwind as she approached the checkout counter. When she approached the counter, Ariel saw a written note placed on it. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± As soon as she saw the note, Ariel reached out to the bookshelf next to her and took out two books without even looking at the title. And she put between the books. ¡®Perfect!¡¯ If such an event was being held, the owner would only check the number of books, not look at the title. No matter what, he¡¯ll only look at the front and back. So if she put in the middle, the owner wouldn¡¯t know what book she¡¯s really buying. Ariel quickly pulled a silver out of her pocket. She had never been this nervous before, even as a child when she crawled to the kitchen to eat candy. Her head was blank and her heart was beating faster as she felt like she was performing the biggest mission of her life. The more she thought of this, the more she had to pretend to be relaxed and casual. But Ariel wasn¡¯t sure if she could do that. Arriving at the counter, Ariel felt like she was standing on the guillotine. The book owner looked at her indifferently. ¡°I-I¡¯d like to buy these, p-please.¡± She tried to speak naturally, but her lips couldn¡¯t move properly. The owner¡¯s eyes, which were on Ariel, shifted to the books she held out. ¡®Please. Please just check the number of books and take the silver!¡¯ However, contrary to Ariel¡¯s expectations, the owner¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°This¡­.¡± The owner¡¯s eyes shook. Ariel bit her lips as she watched the expression on the owner¡¯s face, which was usually blank. I¡¯m doomed. Ariel immediately wished that the wooden floor under her feet would break. To the depths of the earth. And it would be even better if someone covered it with dirt. At that moment, the owner opened his mouth. ¡°Reading a book for the correction of acquired stuttering¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± What, did she pick up a book like that? Ariel looked at the book she held out in bewilderment. Indeed, the title that the owner said was on top. ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I feel sorry for the young miss.¡± The owner looked at Ariel with regret. Ariel could tell by the look in his eyes. She stuttered a little while ago, and the owner misunderstood her. ¡°Cheer up, and I hope you get better.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Uh¡­¡± While Ariel was embarrassed, the owner handed her a cloth bag containing the three books she selected. He then received Ariel¡¯s 1 silver, returned some change, and said, ¡°Please don¡¯t feel pressured to come again, I¡¯ll try to look for a better book.¡± By the time Ariel came to her senses, she was standing in front of her house with a bag containing the change and books. *** Click. Ariel, who confirmed that the door was tightly locked, sat in front of the desk. Then she placed the cloth bag into the bottom drawer and pulled out the books inside it, placing them on the desk. ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± When she put a book that had been stuck in the used bookstore for a long time on the desk, she could see the dust floating out of it under the light of the lamp. Ariel, who brushed the dust away with her hands, gulped. ¡°No, it¡¯s not¡­¡­.¡± As she put that book away, she caught sight of the book with a purple velvet cover. Gulp. Ariel swallowed dry saliva and slowly flipped the cover of the book. As she passed a few pages, she saw a table of contents. ¡°Basic knowledge for ladies¡­¡­ Things to be prepared in advance¡­¡­ Let¡¯s keep this, the basic manners for the night together¡­¡­.¡± These were good enough. But then, soon, there was a problem. ¡°Starting with caressing¡­¡­ The basic idea of sexual intercourse.¡­ Words for a more sensual conversation¡­¡­.¡± The unfamiliar painting she saw seemed to be the one in the ¡®basic idea of sexual intercourse¡¯ chapter. Ariel went past the table of contents and began to read the headlines again. Yes, that¡¯s right. This is exactly it. Ariel unconsciously nodded and continued reading. Ariel realized that this book was perfectly suited for her. Wasn¡¯t her level of knowledge just what this book was targeting? Before she knew it, Ariel began to be so absorbed in the book that she could not even hear her mother¡¯s call to eat dinner. For Ariel now, this book was her only hope. *** ¡°Arsion¡¯s back!¡± Ten days after Arsion returned to the capital, he finally returned home. The people from the duke¡¯s estate welcomed the little duke back after three years. ¡°It¡¯s late at night, so let us say our greetings tomorrow.¡± Arsion smiled and greeted the servants, remembering their faces, then headed to his quarters. Since his social debut, he had been living in the annex that¡¯s a little distance away from the main house. Although he¡¯d returned after three years, everything was the same as if he had left yesterday. ¡°Your Grace, if you need anything, please let me know.¡± At that remark, Arsion recalled what he needed. First, he needed a warm bath to relieve his fatigue. And then¡­¡­. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m sorry for asking this in the late hour, but can you draw a bath? And then you can go back.¡± ¡°But you must be hungry, even if it¡¯s a simple dish¡­¡­.¡± When a young servant, a little excited about the little duke¡¯s return after a long time, tried to continue, wanting to say if he needed anything else, an old servant stopped him and bowed to Arsion. ¡°Very well, we¡¯ll be back when you are ready. Have a good rest.¡± The old servant left the room, holding the young servant¡¯s arm and giving him a stern look as if to stop him from protesting. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything more. Just do what you¡¯re told.¡± The young servant, who was about to grumble, nodded, noticing the tone of the old servant who spoke firmly. *** Ariel sat by the window of her room and looked at the faraway annex. The annex, which had not been in use for the past three years, was lit up to let everyone know that the owner had returned. ¡®Arsion is back.¡¯ Late at night, a servant from the main house informed the duke of Arsion¡¯s return to the ducal residence and of a message to have breakfast together tomorrow. It was really Arsion who she saw as he was passing through residence. She can finally see him properly tomorrow morning. Excited, Ariel laid on the bed, but she couldn¡¯t fall asleep, so she finally put a coat over her shoulders and looked out the window. As time went by, the lights in the annex began to go out one by one. And it was when the lights in Arsion¡¯s room went out. The lamp flickered in Arsion¡¯s room. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Ariel raised herself in surprise at the light. Again, the lights blinked twice in his room. ¡°This¡­.¡± This was a signal the two had created a long time ago, with the knowledge that his residence could be seen from Ariel¡¯s room. One long blink is a sign of good night, and two long blinks are a sign to come and play. But she hadn¡¯t responded to this signal ever since her mother caught and scolded her for going to Arsion¡¯s annex at night. Ariel turned to the annex again. There, the lamp flickered twice as long, as if he was still waiting. Ariel turned her head and gazed at the light, bewitched. On her desk, laid , which she had read thoroughly several times already. After buying that book, Ariel read through it, even forgetting to eat. She read the book over and over again, wondering if she had ever studied so hard in her life. A few days later, Ariel clenched her fist and thought. ¡®I think I can do really well!¡¯ Groundless confidence soared in Ariel¡¯s heart. This book taught her a lot of things. If she did what this book told her to do, she would be able to seduce Arsion without any experience. No, it shouldn¡¯t end in seduction. ¡®What I want is¡­¡­.¡¯ Ariel recalled the picture in the book. Every time she opened the page, she had to take a deep breath and look at it. The naked man and woman were tangled¡­¡­ down below¡­¡­. Ariel changed her clothes, cooling her flushed face with the back of her hand. ¡®It¡¯s going to be difficult today.¡¯ The book said that each party¡¯s heart and atmosphere were important. If she hurried too much, it would all go wrong. ¡®Then, let¡¯s just get started today.¡¯ Ariel quietly got dressed, then approached the desk again and looked at the book. Her theory was perfect. Now, all that was left was to execute it. *** Knock, knock. Ariel adjusted her collar and knocked on the door of the annex. Soon the door opened. ¡°Riel, you¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Sion, why are you the one¡­?¡± Of course she thought other servants would open the door for him. Surprisingly, Arsion was dressed in comfy clothes. ¡°I sent them all back. I wanted to rest quietly. What are you doing? Come on in.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah¡­.¡± Ariel instinctively nodded and stepped into the annex, beckoned by Arsion¡¯s relaxed voice as if they had met yesterday. Click. For some reason, the sound of the door closing behind her seemed to ring loudly in her ears. When she entered and turned her head, she saw Arsion holding a lamp. Although this was not the first time she saw him, Ariel somehow felt nervous as if she was with a stranger. ¡°Riel, are you okay?¡± ¡°Huh? Uh-huh¡­.¡± Did he notice the tension? There was a slightly worried look on his face as he asked her that question. It was that look on Arsion¡¯s face that allowed Ariel to relax a little. It was because that gaze, which showed he was worried about her, was the same as before. ¡®I sent them all back. I wanted to rest¡­¡¯ And then he called her. Ariel placed a hand over her heart. Thump, thump. She could feel the beating of her heart. Somehow, she felt both happy and bitter at the same time. It was good that he treated her differently from others. But unlike herself, where her heart fluttered when she was with him, Arsion seemed calm without any agitation, so she was disappointed. Arsion had a wry smile as Ariel hesitated after entering the room. ¡°It feels the same as when we meet at the palace¡­¡­ Am I that strange now?¡± Somehow, Ariel waved her hand quickly at Arsion¡¯s wounded expression. ¡°N-no, no! I-it¡¯s just been a while. Besides, you¡¯ve grown so tall¡­¡­.¡± ¡°But, both my father and mother were also surprised. Well, we can¡¯t just keep standing here, let¡¯s go up.¡± ¡°Uh, uh-huh¡­.¡± She thought they would first talk in the living room. Instead, Arsion took the lead with a lamp in hand and naturally led the way up to his room on the second floor. ¡®Is this how it works?¡¯ She remembered the priests and the holy knights she saw in the temple. They avoided being alone with a person of the opposite sex as much as possible. Ariel didn¡¯t want to be rude or anything but she thought he would try to avoid personal contact, and yet Arsion was acting like he didn¡¯t know that. ¡®Is it because Arsion was not an official holy knight yet?¡¯ Before Ariel realized, the two were in Arsion¡¯s bedroom. It had been his bedroom for a long time. Before he left, the two had often spent time here together. It was also a familiar and cozy space. As soon as she walked into the room, Ariel felt as if she had returned to the old days. Although this room was for Arsion, it was decorated with a curtain of Ariel¡¯s favorite color, Ariel¡¯s favorite painting, and Ariel¡¯s favorite carpet. When Arsion said he didn¡¯t know how to decorate his place, Ariel recommended her favorite things. Ariel looked around the room with dim eyes. Arsion was the only one who changed, whereas everything remained the same here. And Arsion, who had changed, was about to leave this place. ¡®I don¡¯t want to let you go.¡¯ As people had said, Arsion was not someone she would want to miss. Because he¡¯s a good man she¡¯d been lucky to get. She had spent most of her life with him ever since she first met him. For Ariel, such an Arsion leaving was like having a part of herself being taken away. Arsion put the lamp on the table and sat on the sofa in the middle of the room. Then, he hesitated a little bit before opening his mouth. ¡°Um¡­¡­ I want to talk to you about something. Since my late return from the palace¡­¡­ No, I think I should start from the time I suddenly went to the temple.¡± Finally, the moment had come. At Arsion¡¯s hesitation, Ariel clenched her fist fiercely. It was clear that Arsion was finally trying to tell her that he was going to be a holy knight. Feeling as if tears would flow again, Ariel opened her mouth before Arsion could continue. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve heard it all.¡± ¡°Oh¡­.¡± Arsion looked surprised, as if he didn¡¯t expect Ariel to know. His expression again sent Ariel into tears. Not only did society turn upside down, but everyone knew ¨C from the dukes¡¯ retainers as well as the servants, still they thought she might not know yet. Then Arsion asked her carefully. ¡°I decided on my own¡­.. are you not angry?¡± It didn¡¯t seem like he was unaware of his mistake. Ariel breathed in as deep as she could and spoke in a serene voice. ¡°Of course I¡¯m angry. But that¡¯s all right. I can understand your decision.¡± Ariel was fully aware that pretending to be nice was not easy. But she shouldn¡¯t be angry here. What she needed to do now was to pretend to understand, pretend to accept. However, the moment she saw Arsion smiling brightly at her reply that she understood, a corner of her heart throbbed without realizing it. Ariel was in tears at the fact that Arsion was leaving and that she loved him so much. She clenched her fist in determination. Her heart was hurting and yet he laughed? ¡®If so.¡¯ Ariel took a step closer to Arsion, thinking that she could do what she came to do without any remorse. Arsion continued in an excited voice, not noticing Ariel¡¯s movement. ¡°I thought you¡¯d understand. In fact, my father jumped up and down, saying it was nonsense, and at the palace, he raised his voice, asking what the Crown Princess was talking about. But it was something I decided a long time ago.¡± Ariel knew the two were on her side. What the Duke of Hastings and the Crown Princess knew, only Arsion didn¡¯t know. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a bit rushed, but¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Sion.¡± Only then did Arsion look up as if he had come to his senses. Ariel said to such an Arsion. ¡°I came here today¡­¡­ because I have something to teach you.¡± If others heard this, they would wonder what it meant. The daughter of a vassal family teaching the little duke something. But as a child, Ariel often yelled at Arsion, saying that she would teach him. Naturally, Ariel had nothing to teach Arsion, who was taking successor classes as the next duke, in academic knowledge. However, the story changed when she went out to the garden outside the mansion. Ariel, who had wandered in the woods and fields since childhood, was invincible in the garden. Which trees were good to climb, which fruits could be eaten, how to catch animals, or how to dig flower beds, and so on. Each time, Arsion looked at Ariel with a respectful gaze as she shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re going to teach me¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Do you¡­¡­ know about the things to do at night?¡± Ariel, who said so, quickly examined Arsion. It would be all over if he reacted a little bit and knew what it was. ¡°Things to do at night¡­¡­ what¡¯s that? However, Arsion¡¯s murmurings and expression showed that he was apparently unaware of what it was. ¡®This is good!¡¯ Ariel let out a shout in her heart. She knew how the priests and the holy knights of the temple treated the opposite sex impeccably. She had even been told that nothing sexual can be said. Even before leaving the duke¡¯s residence, Arsion was pure like a white sheet of paper. But it was clear that he still knew nothing about it even after going somewhere like that. Ariel looked at Arsion. His face, looking up at her, was filled with pure curiosity. His expression was the same as the one when they were children, when he looked at her trying to tell him another interesting thing. Ariel reached out and cradled Arsion¡¯s face with both hands. Arsion accepted Ariel¡¯s gestures without a hint of surprise. Before leaving, Arsion¡¯s skin was softer than silk, but now, it¡¯s slightly rougher and sunburnt. But Arsion was still beautiful. Ariel¡¯s heart thumped at the sight of his face, which was so firm that she couldn¡¯t find the lines of a boy anymore. ¡°Sion, close your eyes.¡± ¡°Why eyes?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask me why. Do you¡­ trust me?¡± Ariel gave strength to her trembling hands as she responded with a line similar to a vixen trying to entice an innocent man. What if Arsion finds what she is doing as strange? No, what if he gets mad at her for actually knowing a certain amount of things to do between the opposite sex and trying to corrupt him? All sorts of worries filled Ariel¡¯s head. But Ariel¡¯s anxiety quickly disappeared. Arsion closed his eyes without any further questions. Ariel leaned down. In an instant, their faces became close enough to feel each other¡¯s breaths. At the moment when Arsion¡¯s face flinched slightly, Ariel ruthlessly covered Arsion¡¯s lips with her own lips. Warm, and a little wet, the soft flesh touched. She wondered what Arsion¡¯s lips, which she had seen for a long time, would feel like. It was a kiss. Didn¡¯t they share it at birthday parties when they were young? However, Ariel¡¯s mind lost all thoughts as soon as their lips touched. Maybe it¡¯s because of him. Suddenly, her legs became weak and she stumbled. Because Ariel was in a hurry to kiss Arsion, she lowered her body and collapsed into his arms. Surprised, Arsion hugged her tighter. ¡®Huh¡­?¡¯ Ariel could feel it vividly, the forearms embracing her. The strong thighs she was sitting on. Even the thick arms that hugged her. And a broad, hard chest that touched her back. Arsion¡¯s body scent wrapped around Ariel. A strong yet soft scent mixed with a refreshing soapy scent. Ariel felt dizzy at a scent so powerful that she couldn¡¯t understand how she had never felt it before. Then she realized. The fact that her lips were still attached to Arsion¡¯s. Should they stop now? It was when she was thinking so. ¡°Mmp¡­!¡± Something penetrated between her lips. It quickly pushed into Ariel¡¯s mouth, ferociously scouring her mouth ruthlessly. ¡°Mm-mmp!¡± Startled, she tried to push her body back, but Arsion¡¯s hand, which firmly grabbed the back of her head, stopped her from escaping. Ariel had no choice but to continue to be subjected to such devouring intrusions. His tongue came in. Arsion¡¯s tongue! Ariel couldn¡¯t really think of anything. That was why she could feel Arsion¡¯s movement so vividly. His tongue, which had been entangled as if it wanted to pull her tongue out from its roots, coveted her mouth to the fullest extent and rubbed the soft mucous membrane inside as if it was craving more. Ariel trembled unconsciously at the intense sensation. She felt saliva flowing through her lips, but she didn¡¯t think it was dirty. Ariel clung to Arsion without realizing it. At that moment, she somehow felt like she heard a chuckle. ¡°Haaah¡­¡­ Haaah¡­.¡± It was a long time before their tangled tongues parted and their joint lips fell off. Ariel blinked slowly. Just now, she kissed Arsion. It¡¯s not just a peck, but their tongues intertwined. Ariel became limp, forgetting what she was originally going to do. Looking at Ariel like that, Arsion said with an innocent expression that had not changed a bit. ¡°Riel, is this what you do at night?¡± The moment she agonized over what to answer, Arsion continued. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is, but it feels good. Are you going to teach me again tomorrow?¡± Ariel nodded unconsciously at his words. Chapter 4 - Fast Learners Knock, knock. The knocking on the door made Ariel quickly slide the book she was currently reading under the pillow. ¡°Ariel, I¡¯m coming in.¡± After hearing her mother¡¯s voice, the door soon opened. Ariel rubbed her eyes, yawning as if she had just woken up when she heard the sound. It¡¯s already been a long time since the sun rose, so she might say something about it, but her mother looked relieved at Ariel¡¯s appearance. ¡°How was your sleep? It¡¯s been a long time since you slept so well.¡± ¡°Oh, yes¡­.¡± It wasn¡¯t like that at all, but she couldn¡¯t say it now. ¡°Actually, I wanted to tell you that I will be away for a few days.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°I got a call from your sister, and she¡¯s begging for my help. Looks like there¡¯s been a lot of work in the store for a while. I was thinking about going there only during the day, but since your sister is there, she told me that I can stay comfortably at her place for a few days. Actually, I was going to say no because I am a little worried about you.¡­.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s all right, you can hurry up and go!¡± ¡°Okay, I understand. Now, don¡¯t neglect cleaning while mom is away. And your father will also be away for quite some time, too. I heard there¡¯s something urgent to inspect on the local estate. You can¡¯t lounge around and be lazy just because you don¡¯t have your mom and dad here. In the meantime, I¡¯ll write down everything you have to do, don¡¯t skip it.¡± Ariel¡¯s mother started writing a long list, then finally getting up a long time later. ¡°Okay then. I¡¯ll be back later.¡± ¡°Have a safe trip! Stay for a long time!¡± Ariel¡¯s mother was so worried about Ariel. She wondered if Ariel was devastated after hearing the news about Arsion. She felt it was fortunate to see Ariel regain her energy, as if she had finally cleared up all her thoughts about the engagement. Ariel¡¯s mother was slightly suspicious as Ariel seemed to be trying to send her out. But soon, Ariel¡¯s mother shook her head. ¡®I don¡¯t know how long my husband and I will be away.¡¯ She wanted to watch from the side and soothe her, but unfortunately, something called both her husband and her away. ¡®I¡¯m sure everything will be fine.¡¯ Since it was a private house on the duke¡¯s estate, there was nothing to worry about, and Ariel¡¯s not a child, so even if there¡¯s a problem, she will solve it well. Still, Ariel¡¯s mother was unable to erase her worries. As she rode away, she looked out of the carriage window and gazed at the house again and again. ¡®I hope my daughter will be fine until I come back.¡¯ *** Unaware of her mother¡¯s concern, Ariel quickly returned to bed when she saw her mother¡¯s carriage moving away and pulled out the book under her pillow. ¡°Phew¡­¡­ Now I can be at ease.¡± Ariel¡¯s trembling hand soon flipped to a page of the book. [How did you feel about the first kiss? You must have been ecstatic. If you had done as this book told you, you have probably seen a new world.] Ariel, who was reading the section, recalled last night¡¯s events. Their lips touched¡­¡­ tongues entangled¡­¡­. Ariel¡¯s eyes became hazy, and soon, her face turned red. ¡°It really went according to the book¡­¡­.¡± (TL/N: So cute!!) Last night, for a while, she really knew what it felt like to go to heaven. When she first read the book, she didn¡¯t know what it meant to mix one¡¯s tongue and she thought it would be dirty. Yet when she experienced it, she clung to Arsion without even thinking about it. Ariel then turned the page and read ahead. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡­ Kissing does not end with a touch of the lips, but with a test of affection by using the tongue for confirmation¡­¡­.¡± Ariel tilted her head while looking at the page explaining what a deep kiss was with a picture. ¡®I¡¯ve practiced on the back of my hand over and over again¡­¡­.¡¯ She remembered the sensation of their tongues being so entangled that it hurt. She was just practicing by looking at the picture in the book, but she was sure that yesterday¡¯s kiss was amazing even if she had no experience in doing it. The problem was that she couldn¡¯t remember how she did it. ¡®How did I put my tongue in? I don¡¯t remember the moment I touched his lips.¡¯ Ariel, who was admiring whether her unconscious self had led to yesterday¡¯s magical kiss, unknowingly covered her mouth. ¡®Did I¡­ was I born this way?¡¯ (TL/N: Pffff¡­so dang cute!) Otherwise, she couldn¡¯t have done this well without properly remembering the words in the book and not knowing how. Ariel recalled the words written somewhere in the book. Did it say that there¡¯s no problem if either side did well? ¡®Cause Arsion can¡¯t do well.¡¯ It¡¯s Arsion who knew nothing. She was sure he followed her lead. Ariel turned to the book again. [If you safely finished kissing, you¡¯ll have to go on to the next step. Now that we¡¯ve confirmed that you¡¯re attracted to each other, let¡¯s work on more integrated stimulation. That¡¯s¡­¡­.] Ariel¡¯s eyes began to shine as she continued reading the book. *** As it got dark, Ariel¡¯s eyes became glued to the window of her room, looking at the annex where Arsion was staying. As the lamps that had been switched on here and there turned off one by one and the stars began to shine, the lights of the lamps flickered once again in Arsion¡¯s room. At the signal, Ariel rushed out of her room with a coat. ¡®I¡¯m glad both my parents are not here.¡¯ Thanks to that, Ariel was able to leave the house without any worries. Thinking that everything was going well, Ariel hurried along. Even if it¡¯s a place that she¡¯d been to every day, it¡¯s a little scary when it¡¯s dark. ¡®Come to think of it¡­¡­.¡¯ She thought about how she came back home late yesterday, with Arsion holding her hand and walking her to the front of the house. After arriving at the back door to the kitchen, he let go of her hand, saying, ¡°Good night,¡± kissed her forehead, and stood there until Ariel went inside. Arsion continued to stand there even after she returned to her room and looked down from the window. She didn¡¯t know until when Arsion stood there. Tired of waving, she went to bed first and fell asleep. Thanks to Arsion walking her back, she didn¡¯t feel afraid anymore. Ariel shivered in the cool night air and closed her collar. Suddenly, a shadow appeared in front of her. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Ariel gasped in surprise but soon smiled. ¡°Sion?¡± ¡°Sorry, were you surprised?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you suddenly showed up.¡± It was Arsion who appeared before her. Ariel looked at the annex in the distance. It hadn¡¯t been long since the lamp blinked, so how did he get here so quickly? She couldn¡¯t even guess how fast he ran, and when she looked at Arsion with eyes of admiration, he smiled and stretched out his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yeah.¡± When Ariel placed her hand into Arison¡¯s, his warm body temperature was delivered through their joined hands. Quickly, the cool air and fear from a while ago faded. *** Arriving at the annex, Ariel unknowingly gulped. ¡°Hey, Sion. Other people¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No one¡¯s here. I told them to go back because I wanted to rest today.¡± Only then did Ariel relax a little. Then, there was something that came to mind. ¡°More than that, Sion, what happened yesterday¡­¡­ Perhaps, you told someone or something¡­¡­?¡± It¡¯s Arsion who knew nothing. If he had told someone in the mansion that she had been kissing him, and talked about what they were doing at night¡­¡­! Ariel¡¯s face turned white when she thought of that. She forgot to tell him to keep it a secret because she was so busy yesterday! Arsion, who saw Ariel turning pale, blinked and answered. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t tell anyone. Was I supposed to?¡± ¡°No! Never, never tell others!¡± Her spine chilled at the thought of what would happen if Arsion told others about what they did. Arison nodded, seemingly unaware of Ariel¡¯s inner turmoil. ¡°Okay, but why shouldn¡¯t I say it?¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s¡­.¡± Ariel, who was trying to figure out a reply, soon came up with a plausible answer. ¡°How was it ye-yesterday? Was it good? It was, right?¡± Arison nodded as if it was, and Ariel straightened her shoulders and said, ¡°S-So, I¡¯m not teaching this just to anyone¡­ on-only to you, I taught you because it¡¯s you. If you let others know, I would have to teach others¡­¡­.¡± At that moment, Arsion¡¯s eyes narrowed darkly. ¡°¡­Teach other people?¡± Arsion¡¯s voice dropped suddenly. Somehow, like the low growl of a threatening mountain beast, his voice caused Ariel to unknowingly step back, but Arsion¡¯s hand, which held onto hers tightly, wouldn¡¯t let her go. ¡°Have you taught anyone else besides me?¡± Ariel shook her head quickly, feeling an unknown fear at Arsion¡¯s voice as he looked straight at her and inquired. ¡°O-Oh, no. You¡¯re, you¡¯re the only one I¡¯ve taught!¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Are you serious? Oh, my god¨C¡± ¡®Who else would I do so many embarrassing things with?!¡¯ Ariel, who was about to shout, quickly closed her mouth. ¡°Ne-Nevermind, let¡¯s go inside. I¡¯m going to teach you something else today.¡± With that said, Ariel opened Arsion¡¯s door and walked ahead first. Arsion, who had an expression of wanting to ask more, followed Ariel when he was told she would teach him something else tonight. Ariel grabbed Arsion¡¯s hand and guided him to sit at the end of the bed. Arsion, obediently following her directions, looked at her with eyes filled with anticipation just as he did yesterday. ¡°Riel, what you did yesterday.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh! Yeah! Why?¡± ¡°Can we review it just once?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Review?¡± Surprised, Ariel couldn¡¯t figure out how to respond. ¡®What does he mean by review? Did he really think this is some kind of study?¡¯ Ariel, who was thinking of saying no, changed her mind. ¡®There¡¯s no reason not to.¡¯ No, rather, she thought she would have to beg him to do more, but Arison wanted to do this first. ¡®Every time he feels pleasure in having physical contact with me, he takes another step forward on the path of corruption.¡¯ ¡°Uh, yeah¡­ review¡­. That would be nice.¡± She couldn¡¯t find a reason to disagree, so she answered like that. At that moment, Ariel¡¯s vision was blocked. ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Arsion¡¯s face was in front of her before she could realize what had just happened. Ariel jerked, startled by his face that suddenly came so close, but Arsion spoke in a low voice, just like he did a moment ago. ¡°Riel, open your mouth.¡± It was clear that he was making a request, but Ariel couldn¡¯t resist at the sound of his voice that was somewhat powerful, like a seductive command. As soon as Ariel, who was hesitating, parted her lips slightly, Arison moved quickly like a hawk craving food. ¡°A¡­¡­ mmph! Eup!¡± Ariel¡¯s voice, which was about to call Arsion in surprise, was swallowed up. A wet tongue licked Ariel¡¯s lips. Then, it went inside without hesitation. His tongue slid in like a snake, rummaging through her mouth like yesterday, as if to trace his tracks. His tongue wrapped around hers as if it found what it came for. ¡°Ng, ngh!¡± Ariel was stunned again by the sudden deep kiss. The squelching sound rang in her eardrums and the body temperature of another filled her mouth. Arsion¡¯s tongue covered hers with a refreshing taste of mint. At first, she wanted to push him away, but then, her hand lost strength and fell down. It felt like the power in her whole body was draining away. Still, her lower stomach was pulling, and her body twisted spontaneously because of the tingling sensation between her legs. How long has it been since then? ¡°Ha¡­¡± Arsion, who exhaled with satisfaction, moved his face slightly away from Ariel¡¯s. Already, the area around the mouths of the two was covered with saliva that had flowed out. Arsion asked, wiping her mouth clean with his sleeve. ¡°I remembered it right?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡­ yeah¡­.¡± Feeling faint, Ariel could barely nod her head as she looked at Arsion blankly. ¡°Sion, can you lie on the bed for a second?¡± Obeying Ariel¡¯s request without question, Arsion walked over and laid on the bed. ¡®You¡¯ve grown so much.¡¯ Ariel remembered three years ago when she and Arsion rolled around and ate snacks on this bed. It was a big bed, so it felt spacious even when the two laid down together with their arms and legs spread out, but now, it looked like Arsion occupied most of the bed space even when he laid in it all by himself. Ariel, who was observing the scene at the bed, raised herself. Now wasn¡¯t the time to be like this. She had to do today¡¯s work quickly. ¡°Riel?¡± Arsion called her in a slightly bewildered voice as Ariel climbed up onto his body, straddling him. Ariel leaned in and put her finger on Arison¡¯s lips, as she had read in the book. ¡°Shh. Stay still.¡± Arsion shut his mouth at her command. Ariel took a deep breath. The Arsion underneath her wore only thin pajamas. Perhaps that¡¯s the reason. She could feel his chest muscles, which she had never seen up-close before, were slightly outlined under the fabric. They were muscles that were chiseled and carved beautifully, as if someone had crafted delicately on a huge, hard mass. Ariel swallowed her saliva unconsciously in the flexion of his chest revealed between the buttons that were released by her hand. ¡°Fr-from now on¡­¡­ no matter what I do, you have to stay put. D-Do you understand?¡± It was such a strange thing to say, but Arsion nodded silently to show he¡¯ll comply. Ariel murmured to herself, recalling what she was going to do tonight. ¡®You can do it well. I can do well¡­¡­ I have to do well!¡¯ Ariel, extremely determined, reached out and caressed Arsion¡¯s face. His face, which had been intently staring at Ariel¡¯s actions to see if she was trying to do something, soon hardened. It was because Ariel¡¯s hand swept down Arsion¡¯s cheeks and slowly went down his neck and began to feel around his collarbone. Then, Ariel¡¯s fingers went between the buttons that were loosened. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± And Arsion¡¯s eyes grew bigger. Noticing that he was about to get up, Ariel spoke, albeit in a trembling voice. ¡°I-I told you to stay still!¡± Ariel, as she said so, quickly unbuttoned the remaining buttons and stripped Arsion of his top pajamas. ¡°Whoa¡­¡­¡± At that moment, an exclamation burst out of her mouth. The muscles seen over the clothes were no joke, and Arsion¡¯s muscles revealed under the light of the lamp were as firm and strong as the statues of the heroes in legends. Ariel extended her palm and put her hand on Arsion¡¯s chest muscles. Flinch. When her hands touched his muscles, they contracted as if they were strained. Ariel felt a twitching muscle under her hand and squeezed his chest a little more as he let out a low groan. ¡®It¡¯s not bigger than my chest¡­¡­?¡¯ How the heck did he train? If it had been just flesh and not muscle, it must have been bigger than hers. Ariel, as if possessed, continued squeezing his chest in her hand. ¡°Hah¡­¡­ ah¡­.¡± Then, Arsion groaned beneath her. When she looked up and saw his face, Arsion looked like he was distressed, even though it shouldn¡¯t hurt. Ariel, who was afraid to take her hand off him, shook her head. ¡®This is the beginning of caressing.¡¯ The book told her so. [The next time you kiss, caress your opponent¡¯s body.] The book kindly detailed the location, order, and intensity of caresses in a painting. ¡®When it¡¯s on his chest¡­¡­ as if collecting from the side¡­¡­.¡¯ Ariel¡¯s hand fell over Arsion¡¯s chest. Then, she squeezed it here and there, and rubbed it further. The more she did so, the louder Arsion groaned. Arsion¡¯s body was greatly shaken as soon as her hand, which fell over his flat chest, grazed the tip of his nipple, which he did not know why. ¡°Ahhh!¡± Ariel, who almost fell forward because of it, shouted. ¡°I told you to stay put.¡± ¡°Riel, but¡­¡­.¡± Arsion¡¯s constrained voice sounded as if he was in pain. ¡®Does a man get sick when one rubs his chest?¡¯ Thinking so, Ariel relaxed her hands and carefully lowered them further. She felt like she had enough of his chest now. Then, as written in the book, she had to slowly pass through the ribs and go lower. As soon as she tried to lower herself to do so, Ariel felt something firmly raised against her hip. ¡°What¡¯s this¡­¡­ Eek!¡± Ariel, who was casually lowering her hand, soon realized what it was and turned away in surprise. While she was straddling Arison¡¯s stomach with her knees wide apart, Arsion¡¯s bottom rose taut, as if it would tear his pajamas apart at any moment. ¡®So, so quick! Why is it so big?¡¯ She knew in the book that men¡¯s genitals were evoked by stimulation. In the book, it said this would happen gradually. Standing up so quickly and so high was something that was not written in the book. ¡®Clearly, I have to touch that too¡­¡­.¡¯ The directions said at the end of the lesson was to caress the genitalia. It was written that if you rub over the pillar to stimulate it and at the same time gently release it, it will stand upright. If it didn¡¯t stand up, it wouldn¡¯t be bad to think about whether you would really love him forever. It¡¯s called erectile dysfunction or something. Ariel, however, was convinced that Arsion had no such illness. Ariel recalled the sequence of caresses she had read on the worned out pages. Obviously, that was the last part. But as long as it happened like that, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem to do it any faster. Gulp. She was nervous every time she touched Arsion¡¯s body, but she was even more nervous to touch the most important part. ¡®It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s a part of his body anyway. It¡¯s no different than anywhere else I¡¯ve touched.¡¯ As she mumbled in her mind again and again as if to hypnotize herself, Arsion¡¯s forehead began to rise. As a result, she fell on her back onto the bed. ¡°No, Sion. Stay still. Be a good boy? I won¡¯t give you anything good if you don¡¯t stay put.¡± It was awkward because it was like dealing with a puppy, yet it was written in the book that it was better to use this term. She wondered if that was really the case, and thought that he¡¯d complain about being treated like some kind of dog. Surprisingly, Arsion covered his face with his arms, merely muttering something, not losing his temper. Ariel took her hand to the top part of the pillar and held it carefully at the tip. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Then Arsion¡¯s body jerked, and he groaned out loud again. But now, without saying anything, he covered his face with his hands and just mumbled something in an incomprehensible whisper. ¡°Sion, are you all right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Do.¡± ¡°Sion?¡± ¡°Just do it¡­¡­.¡± Ariel¡¯s heart was beating rapidly because of his voice, his tone either suffering or pleading. ¡®I was told to do it over clothes first.¡¯ Ariel fumbled over his pajamas. Soon, the huge pillar wrapped in cloth was caught in her hand. ¡®Hold the pillar and then slowly move my hands up and down¡­¡­.¡¯ Ariel¡¯s current expression was of burning enthusiasm rather than shame. It was amazing that it was going according to the book, and it was interesting to see the body of a man who had never done it properly before. ¡®Because it is Arsion, it is possible.¡¯ Ariel briefly imagined this with a man other than Arsion. Suddenly, an unbearable amount of disgust came in. Surprised by herself, Ariel quickly erased the imagination and concentrated on Arsion¡¯s pillar in her hands. The pillar in her hands seemed to grow even bigger to her surprise. It wasn¡¯t just him. ¡°Oh¡­¡­ Ugh¡­¡± Every time her hand moved, a groan came out of Arsion¡¯s mouth. But strangely, when she heard that moan, her body felt hot. Ariel moved quickly, putting a little more force in her hands. ¡°Ah, ha, hah!¡± Recalling the book¡¯s picture depicting the moving of hands up and down, Ariel continued to grab Arsion¡¯s pillar and rub it. The moment she thought it seemed to be getting harder, Arsion suddenly trembled profusely. Then he exhaled a long breath. Somehow, it was a breath of relief. ¡°Sion?¡± Arsion lifted himself up when she called him to make sure he was really all right. Ariel swallowed saliva as she met his eyes. Somehow, it occurred to her that his eyes were filled with an intense emotion. Arsion raised his hand. Before Ariel could even close her eyes, his fingers pushed against her forehead. As Arsion previously did, Ariel¡¯s body collapsed on the bed even without any proper use of force. The mattress shifted greatly. It was not because of Ariel. Her little body couldn¡¯t create this big shake. The shaking was due to Arsion, who had climbed on top of her. ¡°Sion, what are you going to do¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my turn.¡± With those husky words, a large callused hand grabbed her chest. ¡°Ahh!¡± Ariel twisted and tried in vain to escape his hand. Arsion¡¯s other hand, after having locked Ariel¡¯s body tightly with both legs, persistently fondled her chest and rubbed it. ¡°Ahh, agh! Do-don¡¯t!¡± Whenever Arsion applied strength to his hands, stars sprang up in front of her eyes along with a tingling pain. Ariel quickly lost her breath because of the sensation of lightning hitting from the top of her head to the tip of her toes. Arsion¡¯s fingers, which had been rubbing her breasts without hesitation, began to unfasten the buttons on Ariel¡¯s chest. Although he slipped a few times, Ariel¡¯s chest was wide open in a flash due to his quick movements. Because she came without underwear, white bread-like mounds were revealed. Gulp. Ariel heard Arsion swallowing his saliva. This time, his palm immediately grabbed her bare skin, not over her clothes. Ariel¡¯s round chest changed shape according to the movement of his hands. ¡°It hurts! It hurts, Sion!¡± Ariel burst into tears because he held one breast and twisted the other. Then Arsion immediately restrained his hand. When Ariel confirmed that he was calming down, he carefully wrapped one breast and slowly moved his hands in a circle, as if he was making up for the strong grip a little while ago. Yet his thumb pressed down on the tender flesh under her nipple. Ariel had to apply pressure to the tip of her toes, not knowing whether it was pain or pleasure. Then, she realized that her nipple was gradually rising and brushing against his palm. Did Arsion also notice that? He moved his hand and gently tugged the rising nipple between his fingers. With a tingling sensation, Ariel wrenched in tears. Then, Arison lowered his head, whispering in her ear as she tried to raise herself up. ¡°No, Riel. Stay still. Be a good girl? I won¡¯t give you anything good if you don¡¯t stay put.¡± His hot breath, tickling her ears, said the same thing she said a little while ago. Ariel felt all her tiny hairs rising. Arsion copied exactly what she did. If so¡­ ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Before she knew it, his hand was fumbling over Ariel¡¯s thighs. Then, he slipped his fingers between her legs. ¡°Ahh!¡± Ariel¡¯s body jerked as much as Arsion did a little while ago. With a low chuckle, Arsion, who still held her breast, raised his thumb and flicked the tip of the clenched nipple with his fingernail. As her body shook, his fingers rubbed between her legs and slightly pressed into the petal folds over the cloth. ¡°Ah¡­ please¡­¡­ please, Sion¡­¡­.¡± Before she knew it, Ariel¡¯s eyes were glistening with tears. Contrary to Ariel¡¯s idea that Arsion would stop if she cried and begged, his hands moved faster. Just like Ariel did a little while ago. He caressed Ariel¡¯s bottom over her clothes, as if he was moving according to how she taught him. A wide palm wrapped around her folds. Then, it started rubbing her up and down. ¡°Oh, uh, hu-hah.¡± The heat rising from the place where his palms touched quickly spread throughout her body. So Ariel groaned and felt something swell up within her. Then, at that moment, Arison¡¯s hand pressed hard against her bottom. ¡°Oh, ah!¡± The pleasure that had been gathered inside her exploded at once like a balloon bursting. Her whole body trembled and hardened. Then, Ariel¡¯s body collapsed on the bed like a doll with a broken thread. She felt a sticky liquid running between her legs. Her blurred vision showed a part of Arsion¡¯s pajamas, which was wet and had darkened as if water was spilled. Maybe it was the same for her own pajamas. As Ariel cried and gasped, Arsion, who had yet to take his hand off her chest, asked, ¡°Riel, what are you going to teach me tomorrow?¡± ¡°Tomorrow¡­ doing everything we did today with our mouths..¡­.¡± Ariel, who had said that much, hastily closed her mouth, but it¡¯s too late. Arsion pressed Ariel¡¯s nipple with a clear expression as if he still had no idea of what shame was. ¡°I can¡¯t wait for tomorrow night to come.¡± *** Now Ariel couldn¡¯t tell if she was waiting or afraid for the night to come. When the red sunset fell in the sky and darkness came, her heart began to pound, and if the lamp over in the annex blinked twice as long, her heart would burst. Then, she headed to the annex while holding Arsion¡¯s hand, who had come to pick her up at the front of the house. Her heart was pounding so hard that she wondered if it would burst through her chest. As it was night again, the two resumed what they had done the previous day. This time, as she said, the same thing had to be done with the mouth, not the hands. Arsion went first this time. Arsion, who looked at her chest and asked if he could lick it, sucked her chest like he was sucking candy for the first time. Later, when Ariel got dressed, as her pajamas brushed against her, she groaned. Ariel had to wash after Arsion. When she rubbed his nipple with her lips with the intention of returning what he did, Arsion hugged her waist tightly, as if refusing to let her go and do more. Meanwhile, Arsion¡¯s enlarged pillar poked her stomach. Each time it happened, Ariel became more confident. It had been another day. ¡°Can¡¯t we do it at your place today?¡± Arsion, who had come to pick her up at the front of the house, raised his head and looked at the window on the second floor where her room was, and suddenly asked. There was nothing that couldn¡¯t be done. Her father was still on a business trip and her mother was not back from her sister¡¯s house. Ariel thought for a moment about the state her room was in. Before she came out, she put on the bookshelf. She believed she organized her blanket and desk. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with it¡­¡­.¡± Even so, Arsion¡¯s bed sheet, which was wrinkled by the two¡¯s previous struggles, was bothering her. There was no reason not to allow him in because it was easy to remove such traces in her house. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go up.¡± After a while, in Ariel¡¯s room, the two were quickly undressing. Lying on her bed, Arsion fit the length perfectly from head to toe, as if measured with a ruler. Ariel giggled as if it was funny when she saw it, and Arsion laughed along with her. Now the two of them didn¡¯t mind taking off their clothes. ¡®Maybe because it¡¯s Arsion.¡¯ In the past, she thought it was something obscene that she couldn¡¯t even imagine doing, but when she saw Arsion copying her innocently, she thought this was not a big deal. Because of this, Ariel was able to move forward more boldly as written in the book. ¡®But it might be a little tough today.¡¯ Today, she finally had to do something that¡¯s almost like the real thing. Ariel, naked, climbed on top of Arsion¡¯s body that was lying on the bed, and hugged him around the neck. Soft, voluptuous white breasts were crushed against his chest. The breaths of the two, who were clinging and rubbing their bodies against each other, quickly got excited. Now Arsion didn¡¯t ask Ariel what to teach him. He went beyond imitating Ariel and began to do things she hadn¡¯t told him yet. It was like that today. Ariel didn¡¯t say anything about what to do, but Arsion started to move himself. He began to kiss Ariel¡¯s forehead, who was on top of his body, then the small kisses passed her face and came down to her neck. But the kisses changed a little ever since his lips touched her chest. Arsion, who turned over and let her lie on the bed, now stood up, sucking and kissing everywhere. The mild pain was swept away by greater pleasure. Every place where Arsion¡¯s lips passed, red marks remained. Then, when his lips reached between her legs, Arsion grabbed Ariel¡¯s thighs with his hands and spread them apart. ¡°Ngh, please. Don¡¯t¡­¡± In absolute shame, Ariel tried to push Arsion¡¯s head away, but his body wouldn¡¯t budge like a giant rock. Tsk. As he buried his face between Ariel¡¯s legs, a lewd wet sound soon leaked. Squelch. With the sounds and sensation of frantic licking and sucking, Ariel now couldn¡¯t even think of pushing his head any further, but held the sheets of the bed tightly with her hands and could only cry out in pleasure. Soon after, the climax came. Liquid poured out underneath her, but the sheets didn¡¯t feel wet. It was because Arsion swallowed it as if it was all his. Arsion, who seemed to keep his face below forever, raised his head. Ariel was already stretched helplessly after a single climax. Arsion lifted himself up and put his lower body close to her. Tok. Ariel lowered her head and looked down at the sound of the pillar being raised. ¡°Huck!¡± His pillar, so ferocious that she could not believe to be attached to the angelic Arsion¡¯s body, was placed against her vagina. Ariel swallowed her saliva in the ferocity of seeing it several times yet still not used to it. Arsion spoke in a bright voice, apparently unaware of Ariel¡¯s tension. ¡°If mine goes inside you, will it reach this far?¡± Arsion, who said so, pressed down on the spot where his pillar was nearing. ¡°Hahh!¡± Suddenly, Ariel, whose navel was pressed, swallowed her breath. As Arison said, if his pillar entered, it would probably reach that far. ¡®It¡¯s bigger than what was shown in the book¡­¡­.¡¯ The book drew a pillar bigger than the average for men. Arsion¡¯s was, by all accounts, much longer and thicker than that. ¡°N-not yet today¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I know. You said I needed more practice. Then Riel, tell me what we have to do today.¡± The words reminded Ariel of what she saw in the book. Soon, she squeezed her legs together and put him between her thighs, touching her folds. ¡°Sion¡­¡­ would you like to slowly move your hips from now on? Slowly back and forth¡­¡­.¡± Arsion immediately understood Ariel¡¯s words. Over the feisty spot, a huge pillar slowly began to move forward and back, rubbing her folds up and down. At first, Arsion¡¯s face, as if wondering why he was doing this, began to harden. The tender, plump flesh of her thighs pressed against him pleasantly. Before she knew it, Ariel closed her eyes and groaned as liquid began to spill again. ¡°Haa, ha, ah, ahhn!¡± Her breasts rose higher. She repeatedly fell back into the bed. The same was true of Arsion. He kept moving his waist like a possessed man. ¡°Slo-slow down, ha, ngh, uhh!¡± As the two people¡¯s movements intensified, the old wooden bed made a squeaking sound as if it were about to break. ¡°Si-Sion, Sion, Sion.¡± Ariel then embraced his neck, wept, and continued to call his name. And then Ariel¡¯s voice rose. Thump. White, sticky semen was sprayed over her stomach and breast. ¡°Haa¡­¡­ hah¡­.¡± Ariel¡¯s leg, which relaxed, fell gently onto the bed. Arsion took a wild breath and looked, enchanted, at the picture he had painted on her body. Ariel¡¯s eyes, which had been fluttering for a long time, slowly closed. ¡°Riel.¡± ¡°Sorry, Sion. Just a little bit¡­ Sleep¡­.¡± She had never fallen asleep so quickly in his room. Since it was her house, it seemed to be easier to relax. Soon, Ariel fell asleep, her breathing even. Arsion, who was watching her, slowly lifted himself up and got out of bed. Then, without hesitation, he headed to the bathroom. It was a natural movement, as if he was entering and exiting his old home. As if he knew well what was where, he found a towel, soaked it in water and sat next to Ariel, who was asleep. Looking at Ariel who was sleeping with semen sprinkled on her stomach and chest with loving eyes, he soon began wiping his traces with a towel. In his heart, he wanted to leave it until morning, but if he did, the semen might dry up on Ariel¡¯s delicate skin and sting. In addition, Arsion hated the fact that there were other traces left on her white skin than the ones he made himself. Thoroughly wiping her body, he found Ariel¡¯s pajamas, buttoned them to the top button and put them back on the bed. Then, he sat by the bed and swept the sleeping Ariel¡¯s hair away. Arsion, who had been looking at Ariel for so long, lowered his head and kissed her lips. ¡°Riel, these things I do at night with you¡­¡­.¡± Arsion whispered in the ear of the sleeping Riel. ¡°I feel really good.¡± Chapter 5 - Whispers of Guilt ¡°You¡¯re going to be even later¡­¡­.¡± Ariel rested her chin on the table while looking at the letter from her mother that had arrived in the morning. It was a good thing. With the absence of her mother, she would be free to go to the annex at night. No, now she no longer needed to go to the annex. Ariel recalled what had happened last night. Naked bodies, without even a single thread of yarn, were intertwined with one another. Arsion¡¯s giant member was placed between her legs, moving quickly back and forth on top of her vagina. Arsion unconsciously groaned lowly as he squeezed both her legs tightly together. Then, unable to resist the rushing pleasure, she called out Arsion¡¯s name, and white liquid sprayed over Ariel¡¯s stomach. ¡°Hah¡­.¡± Just imagining what happened last night again made her body feel hot. Ariel fanned her face with her hands. That was not the end though. Ariel approached the mirror. Even though it was a little hot, she was wearing a button up blouse. As she unbuttoned the blouse down to the clavicle area, the skin underneath revealed several red marks. ¡°Oh my God ¡­..¡± One would think that they were prey to the animals. Not only did the kisses by Arsion leave marks behind, they were all over the place. It should have hurt, but she didn¡¯t remember any pain, because he bit her when she was groaning as she peaked. Ariel sighed as she undid another button. Arsion was doing things she couldn¡¯t have imagined a few days ago. The obscene acts that she questioned whether they could really do it at the beginning are now natural to them. It was as if they were playing together, just like when they were children. So Ariel could now touch and covet Arsion without hesitation. Arsion, of course, could do the same. ¡®There¡¯s only one last lesson left.¡¯ So far, she steadily taught Arsion and made him desire her body. But Arsion and she have not completely crossed the line yet. Ariel once again recalled what the goddess¡¯ demand was for those who were planning to dedicate themselves to her. It was the purity of the flesh. Purity of the flesh was defined by the temple as whether the body was a virgin or not. Because she didn¡¯t miss or skip a single section of the book, Ariel knew that the obscene things she had done so far hadn¡¯t crossed the line for the definition of purity yet. Arsion was still pure, no matter how much he rubbed, bit, licked, and spilled it. Ariel felt Arsion¡¯s release on her stomach. ¡®Tonight is¡­¡­.¡¯ Now that I¡¯ve done everything I can. Finally, today will be the day he and I will clearly join our bodies. When I imagined his big, thick pillar coming under me and stabbing me, my legs seemed to feel like jelly again. ¡®It was sore.¡¯ Everything so far has been so beautiful and enchanting just like in the book¡¯s description. However, when it comes to one¡¯s first time, it was written that penetration could cause severe pain depending on the differences between both parties. Of course, the book mentioned the most important things are the man¡¯s skill and the size of his genitals. ¡®Arsion has done everything well so far¡­¡­ Will he be good at this?¡¯ Then there wouldn¡¯t be much of a problem. Everything she had shared with him so far was ecstatic and enjoyable, so she was sure he would do well till the end. As she put her mother¡¯s letter back in its envelope, Ariel found another letter in her pile of mail. ¡°It¡¯s from Aunt Lucy, isn¡¯t it?¡± It was just a letter from another relative. Everyone referred to her as Aunt Lucy, because she was a relative of a distant cousin. Ariel opened the letter, curious to know what was going on. Ariel, who had been reading the letter for a long time, muttered. ¡°Come visit me once¡­¡­.¡± It was Aunt Lucy who lived in the same village as when Ariel was a child. Aunt Lucy, who wanted to accommodate people who want to buy a villa near the capital and take a rest, said that she would soon take over a quiet and beautiful villa, and she hoped Ariel¡¯s family would visit before she started her business. Ariel put the letter back in its envelope as well and put it on the table. She thought it would be good to talk to her parents about it when they came back. Ariel tidied up the living room and went up to her room to reread . ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡­ The last one is¡­.¡± Ariel opened the final chapter. She started reading about what she had to do today. In fact, it was the section of the book that she most frequently visited and focused on ever since she first got her hands on it. When she was young, whenever she peeked at a pornographic novel that her sister was reading, the main female and male characters would kiss, then caress and lie on the bed. From there, there was an unclear description of what they were doing. A pillar of fire? Honey jar? Petals? Repeated forward and backward movements? After a little bit of digging, she found out more about it, but she only got a vague outline, everything was still foggy. It wasn¡¯t clearly drawn out in her head on what those words meant. But now with this book, she knew everything. Ariel looked intently at the picture that read . ¡®This is usually the basics¡­¡­.¡¯ Ariel, who was looking hard at the explanation written for the picture, flipped to the next page. There was a picture that said . Ariel glanced at the painting, widening her eyes open as if she couldn¡¯t bear to continue to look straight. (QC/N: ???; Google Translate gave ¡®Dominion¡¯ instead of ¡®Doggy Style¡¯ but I made the decision after clicking on the images tab¡­ RIP to my eyes.) ¡®Can we actually do this?¡¯ She had a problem imagining it and wondered if Arsion could do it. She was afraid she couldn¡¯t imagine doing anything like this¡­¡­. The painting should be very similar to what she imagined. Ariel was in serious agony, but she heard a carriage stop from outside the window. ¡®Who is it?¡¯ Her father went on a business trip to a local estate, and her mother contacted her that she was going to stay at her sister¡¯s house for a few more days. That meant that there shouldn¡¯t be any reason why anyone would come to visit the house, so why the heck was someone here? Ariel approached the window while pondering who it could be. When she looked down, her face became pale. ¡°¡­The Holy Knights?¡± In front of Ariel¡¯s house stood a pure white carriage pulled by a white horse. The carriage was studded with the words ¡®Holy Knights¡¯ on it. *** ¡°Um, I apologize as-, as this is all I have.¡± Ariel liked that her mother was away on a trip, but at the same time, she cursed herself for eating all the cookies that were left. She didn¡¯t know if there was any food left at home to entertain guests other than the old tea leaves. It didn¡¯t seem like she hadn¡¯t eaten in the meantime, but when she thought about it again, it was all because she went to play at Arsion¡¯s annex and ate it. The man answered Ariel while bowing his head. ¡°No, thank you for meeting me despite my sudden rudeness, Lady Ariel.¡± Ariel put down the teacup in front of the knight with trembling hands. Anyone could tell how nervous Ariel was at that moment by the clattering cup. I can¡¯t help but to be nervous. Who wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the holy knights¡¯ carriage suddenly stopped in front of the house? ¡®In addition ¡­¡¯ Ariel looked at the chest of the man who sat across from her on the sofa. To be exact, she was staring at the swords embroidered on his chest. ¡®The number of swords represent one¡¯s position in the Holy Order. In apprenticeship, even a single sword cannot be attached to the chest, but once you officially become a holy knight, as the meritorious achievement goes up, the number of swords goes up¡­¡­.¡¯ Ariel¡¯s eyes counted the number of swords. One, two, three, four¡­¡­ five. Hiccup. The moment Ariel counted the five swords, she couldn¡¯t breathe and hiccuped. Five swords. That number of swords could only be used by one individual in the Holy Order. Only the knight commander, the pinnacle of the Holy Knights, could have five swords on his chest. ¡°Kn-Knight Commander¡­¡­ No, Your Highness the Third Prince¡­¡­?¡± Ariel was perplexed as to how to address him as she remembered that the current commander of the knights was also the crown princess¡¯s brother, the third prince. As if he understood her predicament, he only replied with a smile. ¡°Just call me Aiden. I am no longer a prince, because the title of knighthood is the only valid title among the members of the Holy Order. And I had abandoned all worldly status when I entered in the name of the goddess.¡± ¡°Uh, how am I supposed to ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Please, Lady Ariel.¡± ¡°W-Well, then Sir Aiden ¡­¡­?¡± Aiden nodded as if he couldn¡¯t help it, knowing that Ariel couldn¡¯t just call his name easily. ¡°Ah¡­ What brings you to my house¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing special. I just really wanted to see what Arsion¡¯s fianc¨¦ was like.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°When Arsion was in the Knight¡¯s Order, he would often talk about Lady Ariel. Maybe everyone in the Holy Knights, not just me, is curious about Lady Ariel.¡± With her mouth opened in shock, Aiden continued. ¡°You might be wondering why everyone is so interested in our apprentice¡¯s fianc¨¦. You see, Arsion is not an ordinary apprentice. Although it is currently concealed to those in the capital city, the number of monsters he cut down in the polluted land is several times higher than that of any regular holy knight.¡± ¡°Arsion took on monsters?¡± This was the first time she had heard of it. She didn¡¯t even know where Arsion was, because the Holy Knights¡¯ Order was closed off to outsiders, and inside information was hard to get from the Duke of Hastings. Therefore, it was even more difficult to know what achievements he had made in the Holy Knights¡¯ Order. She was just thinking it¡¯s a good thing he was all grown up and safe, but now she realized that he had been dealing with monsters? How many times more than other holy knights? At first, she was surprised, but then, there came anger. Ariel looked Aiden straight in the eyes and asked. ¡°Was it a place where the Holy Knights were short-handed enough to put apprentices at the forefront?¡± At Ariel¡¯s sharp gaze, Aiden replied as if he knew why she suddenly raised the blade. ¡°No way. Apprentices are apprentices. Even if we¡¯re short-handed, we wouldn¡¯t have used an apprentice to deal with the monster.¡± ¡°Then why did Arsion¡­¡­.¡± ¡°He charged out.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°No matter how much danger your colleagues are in, you cannot move to help them without the leader¡¯s permission in order to prevent more people from falling and creating a greater danger. However, Arsion did not listen to my orders and approached the injured knight and protected him. He didn¡¯t even back down when the great evil came.¡± Aiden¡¯s eyes looked distanced, recalling that time. ¡°Arsion did the same in the next battle, even if he was severely scolded, so I ordered him to keep a low profile, but instead of listening, he sneaked out of the temple and dealt with the monsters alone. In the end, I had no choice but to leave him with the knights so that he wouldn¡¯t be in more danger.¡± ¡°Why on earth¡­¡­.¡± Ariel did not understand. Why are you trying to deal with the devilish monsters even though the leader told you to leave the battle, even to the point where he had to order you to keep a low profile? Then, suddenly Ariel¡¯s thoughts went crazy. ¡®Arsion wanted to be a holy knight¡­¡­.¡¯ Most of the people who wanted to become a holy knight usually started their apprenticeship at a young age. Arsion, who had not entered until he was eighteen, would have been remarkably less experienced than the others, so if he wanted to become a holy knight sooner, he dealt with multiple monsters¡­¡­. At that time, Aiden said. ¡°You¡¯d better ask Arsion why yourself.¡± Aiden said so and picked up his teacup. He could have hardened his face at her questioning attitude, but he drank the tea that Ariel had given him in a very polite manner, so polite that it was as if he had accidentally received holy water from her. A long time later, Aiden, who had finished his tea, stood up. There was a brief conversation in between, but Ariel couldn¡¯t even remember what was said. Before leaving through the door, Aiden turned and looked at Ariel. ¡°Please keep it a secret from Arsion that I came here today.¡± Ariel didn¡¯t ask why. Instead, she asked something else. ¡°¡­¡­What¡¯s the real reason Sir Aiden came here today?¡± Aiden did not answer. Instead, he bowed his head to Ariel in a very polite manner and climbed into the carriage. However, Aiden wasn¡¯t the only one bowing to Ariel. The other knights that were waiting for him outside also bowed to Ariel. At that sight, Ariel immediately turned around and closed the front door violently. A moment later, the sound of the holy knights leaving was heard. Ariel carefully approached the window and watched them leave, as they sometimes glanced over at her house repeatedly, as if they had lingering feelings. ¡®They¡¯re all here for Arsion.¡¯ She guessed their purpose was this ever since she laid her eyes on Aiden. As the head of the Holy Knights¡¯ Order and a prince of this country, he really would not have come to visit an apprentice¡¯s fianc¨¦e just out of curiosity. Furthermore, he came and kept talking about what contribution Arsion had made. Contrary to his words, when he talked about how Arsion didn¡¯t listen to his orders, his face was showing signs of pride for Arsion¡¯s achievements. He was right to come to her, but he didn¡¯t come here merely out of curiosity. It was clear that he came here to ask me to break our engagement, which would allow Arsion to become a holy knight in an instant. Ariel went up to her room. Over and over again, what Aiden said lingered in her mind. How valiant Arsion was, how talented he is as a knight, and how much he had cared for other fellow knights. Then it occurred to her that whenever he went into battle, he muttered the name of the goddess. Perhaps he was trying to express his sincere beliefs. Ariel approached her desk. Before Aiden came, she had laid open the book, . Ariel, who saw this, bit her lip. An unbearable shame weighed down on Ariel¡¯s body. Aiden¡¯s face looked very proud when he talked about Arsion. Maybe it wasn¡¯t just Aiden. She also remembered the other holy knights bending themselves over to bow to her before they went back. They all came here wishing, with all their heart, for Arsion to become a holy knight. All of them had given up their rights to the secular world and returned to the goddess with a clean heart. How hard and painful it must be. But they chose that path to follow the goddess¡¯ will and risked their lives for the people, dealing with the monsters. They are the people who have no choice but to stay noble. And Arsion is also trying to walk that path¡­¡­. Ariel closed her eyes. Until a moment ago, she was ashamed of her lewd, disorderly thoughts that she had created in order to corrupt Arsion today. ¡®I was the only one thinking about it.¡¯ She didn¡¯t want to miss Arsion, so she thought she¡¯d just have to get her hands on him no matter what. After that, she didn¡¯t think about the finger pointing Arsion would receive. No, that¡¯s not the only thing. Will Arsion still smile if he one day finds out that he could not take the path he wanted while being kept in the dark? No matter how kind Arsion is, will he ever forgive her after he knows everything? Ariel¡¯s face turned white. Now she realized the consequences of what she was going to do. What she said was good for someone could completely destroy a person¡¯s future. He belongs to her first since he is her fianc¨¦e, so she thought he was going to be hers forever. She whispered to herself that she loved him while trying to do such a thing. Ariel picked up and threw it away as hard as she could. The book that hit the wall rolled on to the floor with a thud. Turning her head, she saw Arsion¡¯s annex in the distance. Tonight, he¡¯ll blink the lamp again. And tonight¡­¡­. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Ariel picked up her bag from the floor with a blue face and ran down to the first floor. She had to get away from here. No, to be exact, she had to get away from wherever Arsion was. Ariel offered a prayer of thanks to the goddess for the first time in a long time. Apparently, because She cared for Arsion, She must have sent the captain of the knights to her home before night came so that he could become a knight. So that she, herself, can realize what a terrible thing she was about to do and let Arsion go. (QC/N: ¡®She¡¯ with the capital ¡®S¡¯ refers to the goddess.) ¡®I have to leave.¡¯ She didn¡¯t have the courage to tell him everything she was going to do. Given the duke¡¯s movements and Arsion¡¯s more frequent visits to the royal palaces and temples, it was clear that his ordination as a holy knight was imminent. It¡¯ll be within a week at most. ¡®You just have to leave for the meantime.¡¯ All she wanted now was for Arsion to be quiet about what went on between them. Then, without any scandal, Arsion would be able to become a holy knight and leave the capital. If Arsion does not return, she has no reason to be here. She would get people¡¯s sympathies anyway. ¡®So where do I go?¡¯ Where should I go to get out of the capital right now? She didn¡¯t have the confidence to go somewhere she didn¡¯t know anything at all. Besides, she was sure her parents would be worried. For the time being, she wanted to leave and go to a place where there were no people. Then Ariel saw the letter she had put on the table. ¡°Yes, Aunt Lucy!¡± It was Aunt Lucy¡¯s letter asking them to visit her new villa. The letter mentioned that Aunt Lucy was a little grumpy since it was hard for her to find a good housekeeper. Ariel is going away for a while. Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m going on a trip to clear my mind. Ariel wrote a letter addressed to her parents and left home, looking at the address in Aunt Lucy¡¯s letter. Chapter 6 - May All Their Firsts Be With Each Other Chirping. Ariel woke up to the sound of birds chirping at the light of dawn. She could see the white curtains fluttering from the breeze that flew through the ajar window. It was not properly locked last night apparently. ¡®Yes, this is Aunt Lucy¡¯s villa.¡¯ Realizing that it was not her home, Ariel rubbed her eyes and raised herself. As she approached the window, the morning sun rising over the mountain glistened gold on the lake¡¯s surface next to the villa. Looking blankly at the beautiful scenery, Ariel murmured. ¡°It has already been a week¡­¡­.¡± A week has passed since she came here after running away from the capital. Even though Ariel did not send a letter of notice to her Aunt Lucy at that time, Aunt Lucy still greeted her with much delight and with open arms. When Ariel stated that she was planning on staying here for a long period of time and was looking for a job, her Aunt Lucy said, ¡°I won¡¯t ask you what¡¯s happened.¡± She, instead, asked Ariel to take care of the villa if she didn¡¯t mind it. Ariel silently nodded. In fact, that was the reason why she came. Thus, Ariel came to this villa because it was located in a small town. There was nothing particularly major that needed to be managed because Aunt Lucy had already taken care of it. She planned to receive guests from a few days later, so until then, Ariel was told to take it easy, so she cleaned the villa in the morning and evening, and then went to the village to go grocery shopping when food ran out. ¡®This isn¡¯t that bad.¡¯ It was a place where no newspapers or magazines could come. There were only birds cries and no people¡¯s voices throughout the day, because there were hardly any people unless she went out to the village. It brought peace to Ariel. ¡°I need to go to the market this morning.¡± The weather was not good yesterday, so she postponed her trip to the market, and all the food was used up. As she changed her clothes and came out, the early morning air wrapped around her refreshingly. She walked for a little while and arrived at the entrance of the village. She could see the merchants who had finished settling down were eagerly selling their products from the farm. ¡®Aunt Lucy said she would prepare a meal when the guests come, so should I practice?¡¯ She didn¡¯t know how long she would be working here, but she was going to work hard while she was there. With a heavier bag of groceries than usual in her arms, Ariel began her trip back to the villa, but she suddenly stopped along the way and found a bookstore in the village. ¡°Let¡¯s see ¡­¡­ The collected newspapers were last week¡¯s, and magazines were last month¡¯s.¡± Since it was a rural area, new books didn¡¯t seem to come in right away. ¡°Shall we buy a newspaper for next week?¡± By now, a week had passed since she left the capital. Arsion should have become a holy knight during this time, so she should get next week¡¯s newspaper and check it out. Thinking so, Ariel was about to head back to the villa when someone suddenly called out to Ariel by the entrance of the village. ¡°Ariel! It¡¯s Ariel!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Who recognized her? Did we happen to be acquainted in the capital? Ariel looked back in surprise, and there stood a familiar man, but she didn¡¯t remember who he was. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but who are you ¡­.?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you remember me? It¡¯s Eddie! I used to hang out with you at Lucy¡¯s place when we were little! Lucy said she got a housekeeper, so I asked who it was. Then, I knew you were here, and here we are.¡± ¡°Eddy, that pee-puppy Eddie?¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Ariel could recall a young boy playing with her before coming to the capital. ¡°Wow, nice to see you!¡± ¡°Nice to see you, too. I remember that your family suddenly went up to the capital and couldn¡¯t say goodbye properly. Would you like to have a cup of tea with me if you have some time?¡± ¡°All right.¡± There weren¡¯t any guests in the villa anyway. There was still some time, and she had just met a childhood friend after so long, and she ended up holding on and insist that they should talk more Eddie led the way to a cafe that opened early, and the two of them sat down and started talking. ¡°How have you been in the capital? I heard your father works for a high aristocrat.¡± Listening to Eddie, Ariel soon noticed that he didn¡¯t even know she was engaged to the little duke. ¡°Good for you.¡± She was wondering what she would do if he asked about it. Thanks to that, Ariel talked comfortably about her days in the capital. Then Eddie asked. ¡°Why did you come back to the countryside all of a sudden? I think your parents are still in the capital.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­.¡± Ariel, who was agonizing over how to answer for a moment, decided to tell the truth. ¡°I broke up with my boyfriend.¡± It wasn¡¯t a lie. Anyway, it was true that she had broken up with Arsion. ¡°Ah ¡­.¡± Eddie sighed a similar sigh. Then, he touched his hand a few times and said, ¡°I know how you feel. In fact, I¡¯m in a similar situation.¡± ¡°Huh? What¡¯s the matter with you?¡± ¡°My long-term girlfriend said she wanted to move to the capital and said goodbye.¡± Ariel also had the same look on his face as Eddie had a while ago. Then, the cart that had the two people¡¯s order came out. Ariel and Eddie both picked up a teacup. Then, they bump the teacups together lightly, as if they were drinking alcohol. ¡°For Ariel who had broken up.¡± ¡°For Eddie who had broken up.¡± The two who said so both smiled bitterly and slowly drank their tea. ¡°Huh ¡­?¡± Somehow, Ariel felt a tingling sensation from the back of her head, so she turned around. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ariel suddenly looked back toward Eddie and asked if he had felt or seen anything. She faced back toward the window to see if she could spot anything strange beyond it, but there was nothing strange; there were only images of villagers coming and going. ¡°¡­¡­Nothing.¡± Ariel tilted her head and turned away. The conversation between the two barely ended until they ordered another new cart and emptied it entirely. ¡°I¡¯ve got to go. I¡¯m sorry to have kept you for so long.¡± When Eddie said this, Ariel shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I was so happy to have someone to chat with while I was bored.¡± Eddie answered the reply with a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s see each other often. I¡¯ll buy you a drink to comfort your heartbroken self back from the capital after being dumped by your boyfriend.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t get dumped; I broke up! You¡¯re the one who got dumped!¡± The words staggered Eddie, who gestured as if he had an arrow pierced through his chest. Ariel smiled at the sight and said, ¡°I feel sorry for you, so if you don¡¯t have anyone who would take you later, I¡¯ll marry you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor, Lady Ariel.¡± At Ariel¡¯s comments, Eddie bowed down and made an exaggerated bow. At that moment Ariel felt a sting again and looked around. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± However, there was, yet again, nothing extraordinary. There was only a tree with swaying branches due to the wind. ¡°Ariel?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing. Well, I¡¯ll be going now.¡± ¡°Yes, see you later!¡± Eddie waved his hand and then disappeared. Ariel also turned around and walked toward the villa. ¡®That¡¯s weird.¡¯ At the cafe and a little while ago. It occurred to her that someone was watching her, and yet she didn¡¯t feel scared. It was strange. Maybe it¡¯s because she was greedy and bought a lot of food. By the time she reached the villa, Ariel groaned as she held on to the heavy bag. ¡°Whoa ¡­.¡± When she put her bag down in front of the door, a sigh came out by itself. Ariel muttered while rubbing her throbbing shoulder, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I have asked Eddie for some help ¡­¡­.¡± Then a familiar voice came from behind her. ¡°If he had, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to walk on both legs by now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± She tried to scream when she heard a voice coming from behind her, but she soon realized that the voice was very familiar. ¡°Si¡­¡­ on?¡± At that moment Ariel¡¯s vision turned upside down. With a bang, the villa¡¯s door was roughly opened. ¡°What, what are you doing!¡± Why the hell was Arsion here? Besides, why did he suddenly pick her up? She couldn¡¯t get her head together at something she didn¡¯t think of. (QC/N: she didn¡¯t think he would come and find her.) Arsion, who came into the villa, carried her up and headed to her room. Then he put her down onto the bed. ¡°S-Sion, why are you here¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Why am I here? Before that, tell me why did you suddenly disappeared.¡± Ariel was stunned by the sight of Arsion staring down at her. Never in her life had she seen Arsion so angry. Then, she opened his mouth when she realized that Arsion had just uttered the word ¡°baby¡±. Arsion had never spoken such words before. Ariel was frightened by the sight of Arsion for the first time. ¡°Why can¡¯t you talk?¡± Arsion¡¯s eyes, which had been pressed, shone sharply. ¡°Did you just hide from me just to meet that bastard?¡± ¡°What, what guy¡­¡­ who¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Who is it? That guy you met in town, Eddie.¡± Ariel couldn¡¯t even say ¡®no¡¯ to Arsion, who chewed out Eddie¡¯s name. Then she found out. The prickly feeling she felt in the village was Arsion¡¯s gaze. Arsion thought for a moment and said to Ariel, who was still stiff, ¡°Riel, why did you come here?¡± Ariel nodded and there was a deep smile on his face. ¡°You left without teaching me everything I needed to do that night. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here to learn till the end.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­ Huh?¡± What the hell was he saying? Arsion suddenly began to take off his clothes when Ariel was absent-minded because she neither understood the situation nor Arsion. Ariel unconsciously let out a low exclamation at the sight of him throwing off his top in an instant. So far, Arsion¡¯s body alway loomed under the dark lights of the lamp at night. The sculptural muscles were fascinating to see under such bright sunlight. However, the appreciation didn¡¯t last long. It was because Arsion, who took his top off, reached out and began to unbutton Ariel¡¯s blouse. ¡°Sion, w-what are you doing¡­¡­!¡± ¡°I want you to stay put.¡± Arsion whispered in a low voice next to her ear. ¡°Otherwise, I¡¯m going to tear it apart right now. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Arsion¡¯s words made Ariel stiffened as if she had become a statue. She didn¡¯t scream or use swear words, and she couldn¡¯t move at all like a trapped animal. Arsion¡¯s hand barely moved a few times, and Ariel quickly became naked in an instance. He came up on top of Ariel¡¯s body. Arsion, who held her tightly between his arms, immediately stuck his face in the nape of her neck. She felt a sharp pain by her throat, along with the sound of heavy breathing. ¡°It hurts!¡± Usually, Arsion stopped moving immediately when Ariel said she was hurt, but now he kept biting her throat as if he couldn¡¯t hear her voice. ¡°It-it hurts! It hurts!¡± Ariel tried to pull Arsion¡¯s head away, but his body wouldn¡¯t budge. Meanwhile, Arsion¡¯s lips had fallen to her heart. He opened his mouth and greedily bit her chest. Because of this, Ariel twisted her body desperately in pain. However, Ariel couldn¡¯t move, because his hand held her wrists and pushed against the sheets. ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t, Sion. I¡¯m scared ¡­.¡± There were teeth marks all over her white chest, and as soon as he bit the edge of her peaks, Ariel eventually sobbed like a child. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Only then did Arsion¡¯s actions stopped, but Ariel didn¡¯t stop crying. Arsion, who buried his face in her chest, lifted his face up, and gently stroked her nipples, which he had been nibbling for a while, with his tongue. Ariel was more embarrassed by the tender licking sensation and cried even louder as if she was in a lot of pain. Arsion raised his head. Even though Ariel¡¯s vision was blurred due to tears, Arsion¡¯s face was visibly even sadder than hers even though he wasn¡¯t the one crying. He grabbed Ariel¡¯s wrists with one hand and began to take off the rest of his clothes with the other. In an instant, his clothes fell onto the floor on the side of the bed. When Ariel looked at Arsion¡¯s body, which was as perfect as when they were in the duke¡¯s mansion, she knew that his thing was already erect enough to press against her belly. ¡°Oh, no ¡­¡­.¡± But Ariel¡¯s murmurs did not prevent Arsion from continuing. Arsion let go of her wrists and held her thighs open with his hands. His thing came in between her wide open legs. At this rate. Ariel¡¯s face went pale with fear. It wasn¡¯t that she was scared. It was the fact that he couldn¡¯t be a holy knight if he mixed himself with her that made Ariel afraid. ¡°Don¡¯t do it, Sion. You, you don¡¯t even know how to do it. If I don¡¯t teach you¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Things to Do at Night. A purple, velvet-covered book.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been reading it and teaching me, haven¡¯t you? ¡°H-How could you ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°After you disappeared, I searched your house to the point where I wouldn¡¯t even miss a speck of dust. It was just a matter of time before I found the book on the floor. I can also see that everything you¡¯ve teached me so far was copied from the book.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve read through the whole book, so now I know what the last step is.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Ariel looked at him in surprise at his words. A dangerous smile crossed Arsion¡¯s face. ¡°But books aren¡¯t enough. I don¡¯t know if you don¡¯t teach me, Riel. So¡­.¡± Arsion seized his penis and rubbed the dripping blunt end against Ariel¡¯s entrance. His repeated rubbing soon caused her bottom to drip with fluid. Soon they both realized that each other¡¯s bodies were ready. Their bodies were in the same state as the last night they had spent together in the capital. ¡°You need to teach me till the end.¡± As he said so, Arsion slowly pushed himself into her. ¡°Gasp!¡± The thickest part began to enter her. Ariel shuddered under the unbearable, incredible pressure. Pain. It was more than what she was prepared for. The greatest pain she had ever experienced in her life was when she sprained her ankle after she fell down while running around in the valley. Even so, the pain she felt now was different compared to that time. She felt like her whole body was splitted in half. It felt like a huge club was digging into her entrance. She felt suffocated and wanted to faint right away. Above all, she couldn¡¯t believe that Arsion was causing her this great pain. ¡°Ugh ¡­.¡± Tears dripped down again. She didn¡¯t know what was sad, but Ariel just wanted to cry. Did she do something wrong? Was that why Arsion got angry? But he was supposed to be a holy knight. He couldn¡¯t be mixing his body with her¡¯s like this. Did he notice Ariel¡¯s crying? Arsion¡¯s thrust, which had seemed to continue digging inside, stopped. ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡± ¡°Sobbing¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Riel.¡± He was speaking in the same friendly voice as when they first met, when he was six years old. Why does Arsion hurt her so much? Ariel kept shedding tears as if she knew nothing. ¡°¡­¡­ I hate you, Sion.¡± ¡°Riel, I ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Why are you so angry? I want you to do whatever it is you desire¡­¡­ I was going to give up everything, even if I liked it¡­¡­ Why are you so mad at me?¡± Arsion¡¯s hand wiped away the tears running down Ariel¡¯s cheeks. Ariel roughly turned her head as if to resist him, but Arsion¡¯s hands persisted with her movement and adhered to her face. ¡°You left me behind.¡± After a moment, Ariel eventually glanced at him when she heard Arsion¡¯s cracked voice. Even though there weren¡¯t any tears, Ariel somehow knew he was crying. ¡°You left me, but you¡¯re mine ¡­¡­ You should have never left me. You are the woman I want to protect ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Sion?¡± Arsion buried his face in her chest again. Then gently licked her breasts as before. ¡°Riel, let me in.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You have no idea how much I¡¯ve endured. Please ¡­.¡± Ariel nodded at the sound of Arsion¡¯s painful voice. At that moment, the pain bizarrely abated. Not missing the gap, Arsion¡¯s body crept into her. Arsion didn¡¯t just only move his bottom half; he also french-kissed her while his hands gently rubbed her tense body. Then, with a thud, his lower body pushed against her and went right to the roots. ¡°Hah ¡­¡± Arsion nearly lost consciousness of the warmth that was surrounding and tightening her underneath. Like this, he wanted to move his waist according to his instinct and roughly drive it in, but Ariel would be badly hurt if he did. He didn¡¯t learn it from the book. He knew everything from the beginning. Ariel thought he didn¡¯t know anything. He had only acted from an early age to make her think so. Her inner walls, which accepted him, closely bit him. Arsion pulled his waist back. ¡°Yes¡­!¡± Then, Ariel, who was struggling, parted her mouth in excitement. Again, he lowered his waist vigorously. Puck, puck, every time he moved, Ariel¡¯s voice grew. Ariel¡¯s hands, which were holding the sheet, wrapped around Arsion¡¯s neck before she knew it. Her soft chest crushed against his firm chest. Now, no longer biding its time, Ariel¡¯s shutters matched Arsion¡¯s movement. The moment Arsion, who was constantly poking inside, pressed deeply on a particular area. ¡°Ah, ah, ah!¡± Ariel tilted her head back and cried out. Arsion didn¡¯t stop and kept stabbing her with his penis. ¡°Oh, ah, yes, yes!¡± Every time the two bodies collided, fluid splashed from below. The erotic sound of slapping flesh rang in the villa. Arsion lifted Ariel¡¯s body up and discontinued the missionary position. Then Ariel, who took his pillar deeper because of his weight, shuddered soundlessly. Ariel¡¯s waist leaned back and bent like a bow. Yet that was not the end of it. Arsion carefully held Ariel¡¯s body, which had lost strength and was constantly about to collapse. In the meantime, he grew even bigger in her. The small movements from her body greatly stimulated his pillar. ¡°Riel.¡± Arsion called out to her. Just as Ariel was about to answer, his pillar, which had just come out, leaving only its head, went violently inside her again. ¡°Oh, hah!¡± She felt like there was a huge fire in her head. Everything felt hot, and she couldn¡¯t think. The same was with Arsion. Ariel¡¯s face, which was in pain at first, became redder and dyed in delight. The tears in her red eyes and her red lips that kept groaning while she was trying to call out his were insanely lovely. Well, there weren¡¯t any parts of Ariel that were not lovely. It was lovely how she squeezed him till the end. The fluids spilled by them ran down her thighs. Arsion stopped moving and lowered his hand to touch the tightly joined parts. Then Ariel¡¯s body flinched and tightened as he felt the excited cilt with his hands. ¡°Ah ¡­.¡± For a moment, the surroundings turned white. Just as Ariel was going through all this for her first time, it was also Arsion¡¯s first time. He wanted it. May all his firsts be with her. Ariel¡¯s first had to be him, and his first had to be Ariel too. ¡°Si-Sion ¡­.¡± Ariel wept and called out his name without knowing what her body was doing. Arsion laughed at her allure as he didn¡¯t know if she wanted him to stop or do more. He reached out, grabbed Ariel by the waist, and flipped her body over. His embedded thing scratched her wet folds mercilessly as he turned around, interlocked. ¡°Omg!¡± Ariel struggled, face down, at the sudden provocation. Arsion pulled himself from under her for a moment. The dark red column glistened from head to root as it was soaked in a murky, sticky liquid that couldn¡¯t be identified as to whose it pertained to. Arsion lifted her lower body by putting her arm underneath Ariel¡¯s shaking belly. Then he spread her legs. ¡°Sion, what, what are you going to do¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s what you¡¯re trying to do. You remember that, don¡¯t you?¡± Ariel¡¯s eyes widened at his words. A lot of the embarrassing positions she saw went through her mind. ¡°Show me everything.¡± Arsion, who said that, took a look at his pillar and with his hand, moved it underneath her from behind. The folds that were biting something rather large a moment ago, wrapped around the tip of his pillar as it slowly rubbed against it like it had gotten used to it. ¡°Hmm ¡­¡± Arsion moved his waist slowly, breathing with pleasure. Contrary to his ferocious momentum, his thing, which was very angry as if he was about to go inside, did not come in at all and only slightly pushed the end of it. Ariel twisted, and was bewildered by Arsion¡¯s actions. She only hoped that his thing hovering below her would come inside soon. She wanted him to roughly come in and drive it to the end. Then Ariel shook her head. What the hell was she thinking right now? However, Ariel shed tears at Arsion¡¯s movement, which only hovered around and made her anxious. ¡°Sion, quickly ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Quickly? I don¡¯t know what to do quickly.¡± ¡°Please, please, Sion ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Riel, tell me exactly what you want.¡± Arsion¡¯s pillar dug a little further into her. Arsion whispered in Ariel¡¯s ear while shaking her body. ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever you want.¡± Ariel said, with tears in her eyes. ¡°¡­¡­Come on in.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Into me, come into me¡­¡­ please¡­¡± Arsion¡¯s fingers wiped away her tears. Then he grabbed her slender waist with his hands and said. ¡°Whatever you want.¡± Before his words were finished, an angry pillar rushed inside. The sound of flesh hitting each other rang in the room. ¡°Oh, my God!¡± She felt like her body was breaking. Ariel didn¡¯t want to run away even though she had that thought in her mind. This sensation that seemed to be destroying her was what she wanted now. Arsion was moving faster and faster. As soons as Arsion¡¯s pillar was puffed up to the limit, he trembled and buried himself deeply into her. The white liquid filled the inside and overflowed from the contacted area. Arsion held Ariel¡¯s waist, which was about to collapse, with one arm. Then he felt her flat stomach with his other hand as if he was gauging where he was in her body. The hole, which held his big thing in it a moment ago, couldn¡¯t shut itself close and let the sticky liquid slip out from inside. Arsion turned Ariel¡¯s body over and satisfyingly gazed at her body. Then he left small kisses all over her face, which seemed to be mesmerized. ¡°Yeah ¡­¡± Arsion settled between her legs again as Ariel came to her senses and uttered a ticklish whine. Then again he pushed himself into an opening that hadn¡¯t yet closed. Ariel listened to Arsion¡¯s voice constantly calling her, and her mind disappeared as she felt something hot spreading inside her body. Chapter 7 - The Truth of Arsion’s Three Years Ariel slowly came to her senses. She felt as if her body was drooping like a wet blanket. At the same time, she felt a throbbing pain all over her body. ¡°Ah¡­.¡± Ariel groaned from the pain that came from her back. Why was her body hurting so much? And why was she so tired? More than that¡­¡­ What was this warm thing that kept touching her skin now? With much difficulty, Ariel tried to pry her eyes open in order to see what the hard and soft thing that was pressing against her back. Through her hazy vision, the first thing she noticed was how dim the room was. Only a single lamp was lit in the darkness of the room. Yes, this was her room in Aunt Lucy¡¯s villa. However, when did night come? Why was she naked? Ariel, who had been gathering her thoughts, lowered her head. Someone¡¯s thick forearm was wrapped firmly around her waist. The moment she saw it, she quickly came to her senses. Everything came rushing back. ¡°¡­¡­Sion?¡± Then the arm that was hugging her turned her body around. Ariel was now facing him. His familiar blue eyes were looking straight at her; they were shining so brightly in contrast to the room. ¡°Are you awake?¡± Ariel trembled, unable to answer Sion¡¯s question. Sion came to see her! He approached her and asked her to finish the ¡®Things to Do at Night¡¯ lessons¡­ ¡°Oh ¡­.¡± Their bodies were closely pressed against each other as memories of the intense lovemaking flashed before her as her gaze lingered at Arsion¡¯s thing. Their lower bodies were pressed closely together, and Arsion¡¯s thing came under her. He unceasingly drove her to her peak. He repeatedly, violently, and sometimes gently, vomited hot liquid inside her. Ariel could feel it trickling down between her legs. It was as if it were to solidify the fact that the memories were true. At that moment, Ariel roughly pushed Arsion¡¯s chest back. She looked down, and her body shuddered. Even under the lamp¡¯s dim light, the murky white liquid could be seen flowing down the thigh. Her eyes filled with tears as she blankly watched it dripped down for a long time. ¡®I slept with Arsion and fell asleep.¡¯ As soon as she realized it, more moisture started to form in Ariel¡¯s eyes. At first, she tried to hold in her breath and cry, but in the end she couldn¡¯t hold back the flood of tears. Arsion, who was trying to reach out for Ariel, saw her crying face. Then, he asked in a painful voice, as if he had been stabbed. ¡°¡­¡­Do you hate me that much? To the point of crying like this?¡± Ariel shook her head at his words. She didn¡¯t hate it. No, it was good enough to die for. She might have been in pain, but she was the one who had asked Arsion to go in deeper. Every time Arsion moved his hips, she lost her mind again and again. She felt like her body was being reborn, experiencing new sensations that she had never felt in her life. In no way did she dislike it. Actually, it didn¡¯t matter if it hurt. If the opposition was Arsion, she could do anything. However, only she felt good. ¡°No¡­¡­ It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like it¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Then why are you crying?¡± When Ariel said that, only then did Arsion cautiously grab Ariel¡¯s wrists. He slowly lowered the hands that kept trying to shield her face and revealed a face painted with tears. ¡°Ariel, look at me and tell me. You said you didn¡¯t hate it, so why are you doing this?¡± ¡°I, I¡­ I ruined you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Sion, you are supposed to become a holy knight¡­¡­ if you sleep with me¡­¡­ you, now you can¡¯t become a holy knight¡­¡­.¡± Ariel, who could barely contain herself, burst into tears. Even if Arsion rushed in, she should have said no. She knew if he did this, he would not be able to become a holy knight. She should have told him. In the end, because she was drenched in the pleasure of copulating with Arision, she could not tell him that, and eventually, she defiled him. It wasn¡¯t just Arsion¡¯s purity that she took away. She even took away his future. Now that she realized that, Ariel couldn¡¯t stop crying, because she was afraid of how Arsion would look at her. Arsion then spoke in disbelief. ¡°Who¡¯s going to be a holy knight?¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡®What does this mean?¡¯ ¡°Who the hell is going to be a holy knight.¡± ¡°Well, you were going to be a holy knight.¡­.¡± ¡°I never wanted to be a holy knight. Not even once. Why would I do such a thing when that means I would have to stay away from you forever?¡± On hearing Arsion¡¯s response, Ariel wondered if she was having hallucinations right then. What did he mean, that he didn¡¯t want to become a holy knight? Arsion asked Ariel, who was unable to say anything. ¡°Who the hell told you that I was going be a holy knight?¡± ¡°Um, it was¡­.¡± Come to think of it, she had only heard rumors that Arsion would be a holy knight. No one actually said for sure that Arsion was trying to be a holy knight. But¡­¡­. ¡°But, there was a rumor going around. That you¡¯re trying to be a holy knight. That¡¯s why you came back.¡­ and then the Duke took the family seal¡­ and you never came back from the palace¡­ it was all about you becoming a holy knight and not coming back as the Duke¡¯s successor¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­What?¡± At Ariel¡¯s words, Arsion stared at her with a flabbergasted expression. It was as if he didn¡¯t understand what she was saying. He touched his forehead a moment later and looked as if he knew what had happened. With a long sigh, he got out of bed. Ariel tightly closed her eyes to elude seeing Arsion¡¯s naked body, not wearing anything like her. When she opened her eyes, Arsion had brought over her bathrobe that had been hanging on her hanger. After carefully putting the robe on Ariel, Arsion searched for his discarded clothes to cover himself. After donning on a pair of pants, he sat back down on her bed and told her. ¡°Riel, the reason why my father took the family seal and why I didn¡¯t come back from the palace was because of another problem.¡± ¡°What was the problem?¡± When Ariel asked again, Arsion suddenly blushed and could not easily answer. Then he grabbed her hand as Ariel looked anxiously at his actions and said, ¡°Because when I suddenly left ¡­¡­ our marriage had been postponed.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± As Arsion said, the wedding ceremony for the two of them had been postponed without another date. ¡°You know that every noble¡¯s marriage is only possible with royal permission, right? More than a hundred requests are sent each day, and I don¡¯t know if they will allow ours until a few months after filing one.¡± That was a fact that Ariel was well aware of. The higher the aristocratic position is in the society, the more time it took to be granted a royal permission. This was not design nor customary. In the case of an aristocratic wedding that was connected to the royal blood, a wedding of that size would need some time to sort out more problems such as new local territory boundaries, or revision of the nobility registry plus many other minor matters. ¡°I couldn¡¯t stand waiting for that many months for approval.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I rushed to the palace as soon as I got back. I wanted to have a wedding with you in a month. That was why my father brought the duke¡¯s seal. I had to write a pledge that I would not raise any complaints about any future problems because of the rush.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ariel was having difficulty understanding what was going on around her, but one thing was for certain, Arsion was trying to marry her. ¡°Then why did Aiden and the holy knights visit me?¡± ¡°Aiden visited you?¡± At that moment, the tails of Arsion¡¯s eyes rose fiercely. ¡°What did Aiden say?¡± At Arison¡¯s question, Ariel recalled what Aiden had told her. On second thought, Aiden had never once told Ariel that Arsion was about to become a holy knight. He just came in and complemented Arsion. ¡°Well, he came and complimented you¡­¡­ and also just because he wanted to meet me ¡­¡­.¡± Arsion had a cold look on his face after hearing her words. ¡°He visited you without me realizing it.¡± As Arsion muttered for a bit more, Ariel suddenly remembered something. ¡°Then why did you leave for the temple?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You suddenly left to join the temple. You became an apprentice knight. At that time, when you saw me, you definitely looked surprised¡­. so of course everyone thought you were going to be a holy knight¡­¡­.¡± The tears that had stopped started to fall again. It reminded her of the past that she had forgotten for a while. A time when she was sick enough to lose her consciousness. Arsion, who she had hoped for to be there for her, had left without saying a word. The sadness that she had forgotten came rushing back once again. Arsion, seeing Ariel crying, gently pulled her into his arms. ¡°Yes, I was surprised to see you then.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You were sick, because I didn¡¯t keep my word to the goddess.¡± ¡°Huh ¡­?¡± ¡°Riel, do you remember when we first met?¡± Arsion started to talk about the past. ¡°I was praying to the goddess at the temple in the garden on the day you first appeared before me. I was so sure I had a mate somewhere, but I couldn¡¯t find them. So I prayed to the goddess to please send her to me and pledged that if she did, I would cut down an abundant amount of evil that would surely satisfy her. And on that day, you appeared in the temple.¡± ¡°But I was just sleeping there?¡± ¡°Whatever the case, you came to where I prayed. I could tell from the moment I saw you. That the goddess listened to my prayers. So I completely forgot what I promised to the goddess out of joy, and then I remembered it on the day you fell ill. So I went straight to the temple and found the holy knights. To deal with the monsters, you have to go to where they are.¡± Arsion¡¯s explanation left Ariel speechless. To be honest, Ariel was not deeply religious even though she was attending the temple gathering. Thus it was hard for her to accept Arsion¡¯s words as the reason as to why she became ill was because of his failure to fulfill his pledge to the goddess at first. ¡®But I can¡¯t say anything about it when you are being so serious¡­¡­.¡¯ Ariel then remembered another resentment, and her lips pouted lightly. It was because she recalled he had left her without saying a word. ¡°Come to think of it, Aiden said you always called the goddess¡¯ name when you fought against the monsters. You said you¡¯d obey her for the rest of your life .¡­.¡± Arsion grinned at the slight sulkiness in her words. When she glanced back at him to see if he was making fun of her, he replied by shaking his head to suggest he was not doing so. ¡°I did say it. However, the name I called was your name.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°My goddess, who I always wish for to be safe and healthy, is someone I have to go back to and meet again someday. That goddess is you.¡± At that point, Ariel looked at him without saying a word. While he was away from her, she always thought that he loved the goddess, but in fact, that was not it. Arsion was always referring to her as the goddess. With this realization, all her resentment for him, which had remained in a corner of her heart, had started to melt away. She didn¡¯t have to feel guilty anymore. Still not able to find anything to say in Arsion¡¯s arms, Ariel raised her head. She saw Arsion¡¯s blue eyes looking at her. When she noticed his loving gaze, she opened her mouth and asked, ¡°Can I ask you one more question?¡± ¡°Whatever you want.¡± ¡°You¡­ You said you were ¡®annoyed¡¯, because you were engaged to me. What was bothering you?¡± Arsion pinched her cheek ever so slightly as to not hurt her and replied. ¡°I think you know the answer, but I can tell you want to hear it, so I¡¯ll give you the answer. I¡¯m going to marry you anyway, but I said it because I was troubled by other people¡¯s needless meddling.¡± Ariel¡¯s face smirked at his answer. Arsion kissed her cheek lovingly and added, ¡°Let¡¯s go home tomorrow.¡± Ariel nodded. Then Arsion continued to whisper in her ear. ¡°Everyone is waiting for the missing bride.¡± As Arison finished, he carefully glided his hands between her legs again. Ariel¡¯s moan of pleasures continued until dawn in the villa with no Chapter 8 - Someone To Share Every Night & Day With The duke¡¯s estate had been busy since morning. All the buildings were decorated with white cloth and flowers as the capital¡¯s most prestigious aristocrats flocked there. Today was the wedding day of Arsion, the next duke, and Ariel, his fianc¨¦e. People had wondered if Arsion was trying to become a holy knight, but after seeing the wedding invitation, they had no choice but to believe that there had been a mistake. At the same time, those who criticized Ariel for making stiff appearances had to groan when they saw the wedding invitation. What the hell would they do now when they meet the future duchess? Even if they regretted it, it was too late. What they did in the past would not be erased. The road to the Duke¡¯s home was filled with nobles and their carriages. Suddenly, a golden carriage appeared. Everyone recognized it as the royal carriage, thus they hurriedly stepped back to the side of the road and bowed their heads to show their respects. Thanks to this, the crown princess was able to comfortably arrive earlier than the other nobles and was led straight to the wedding hall under the guidance of the duke. ¡°I¡¯ll be looking around for a while, so you should go and welcome the guests.¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Royal Highness. I shall call someone to show you around the mansion in my stead.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to. It¡¯ll be noisy, so I¡¯ll go around alone.¡± ¡°Please do as you wish.¡± The duke bowed down and thanked the crown princess for her understanding. The crown princess fanned away the aristocrats approaching to greet her, signaling them to back off, then she started looking around the wedding hall. She sat down in a seat in the front area which was specifically prepared for her. After a while, a man approached her from behind. The crown princess said without looking back. ¡°You look good, Aiden. Did Arsion do that to you?¡± Hearing her words, Aiden stopped. He was very sure that she hadn¡¯t seen his face in recent days, but she spoke as if she had seen everything, despite not turning her head even once. It didn¡¯t come as a surprise of course. Such people with special gifts were sometimes born into the royal family. People who could see things on others that weren¡¯t visible to the naked eye. His sister was one of those people. And so was Aiden. Pressing his hands against his bruised cheekbones, he replied. ¡°Who else would dare do this to the Third Prince¡¯s face?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re coming in as a holy knight, then there¡¯s no point in announcing your status to the world.¡± ¡°However, there¡¯s a certain limit to things. I never would have thought he would make such a fuss just because I went to visit Lady Ariel.¡± The crown princess grinned and then asked, ¡°So, how did it feel to see Ariel?¡± ¡°When I met her, I finally understood. Why Arsion is so obsessed with her. Why Sister care so much about having her next to you. Even if they weren¡¯t visible, the other knights bowed to her like I did, as if they felt something.¡± The tone was incongruous with what one would expect from the head of the Holy Order or of a prince, but the crown princess did not care. No one was listening to their conversation anyway. Aiden remembered Ariel who had welcomed him with a surprised face. In the eyes of others, she would only seem like a pretty young lady, but he and the crown princess could see something else. White wings were shining brilliantly behind Ariel. ¡°What did Arsion say when he first met Lady Ariel in this temple?¡± ¡°Yes, he said he prayed to the goddess to return what is his and then he fell asleep, and when he opened his eyes, Ariel was also asleep in the tribute box.¡± The crown princess clearly remembered the image of Arsion at that time. Born as the only son of the duke, Arsion was a strange child. Because he was not interested in anything, the duke and his wife called in not only famous doctors but also professors from the academy to consult on Arsion¡¯s condition. However, there was nothing wrong with Arsion, and contrary to what the duke and duchess were worried about, the only answers that came back was that he possessed a very high level of intelligence as well as superior physical condition. Arsion, who learned words much faster than the other children, said, ¡°I don¡¯t have what¡¯s mine.¡± Not everyone understood his words. As the only son of the duke, he could get whatever he wanted, so why did Arsion say that? Fortunately, as he grew older, Arsion gradually showed changes in his emotions, but he was still different from the other children. It was only a change to the degree to which he would react as needed. Of course, that alone made the duke and his wife very happy. Then one day, Arsion brought a child home with a bright smile. It was Ariel. Arsion didn¡¯t sleep a wink that night after sending Ariel home with a promise to see her tomorrow. Ariel was the ¡®gift from God¡¯. His mate, sent by the goddess. Even though she was only a little away from him, he was nervous and restless. It was only a few days later that Arsion came to the palace and bragged to the crown princess and Aiden, saying, ¡®The goddess finally sent me my mate.¡¯ The crown princess and Aiden then saw wings unfold behind Arsion, who smiled brightly. The wings were white but stained red with blood. Ever since they saw it, the crown princess and Aiden went to the temple and searched through the Bible, looking for clues as to who Arsion was. And there was a passage they found in a corner of an old Bible. ¡°There are some angels that the Goddess has who are crazy about war¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Among them, there¡¯s an exceptionally crazy angel who cares so much about his partner like a madman, and he never wants to let her go like a madman¡­.¡± The names of the angels were not written on it, but there seemed to be no need to find them. Names that ended in ¡®On¡¯ or ¡®El¡¯ were usually angel names, though not all. The princess, who recalled what happened a long time ago, said to Aiden with a look of fatigue. ¡°Ariel doesn¡¯t even know that Arsion was born that way. It really gave me the shivers.¡± The crown princess remembered what they both had known. In order to be together with Ariel, Arsion had deliberately made it so that her father and mother would leave the house. Neither Ariel¡¯s parents nor Ariel would ever know that it was all planned. ¡°That terrifying guy. When he was in the holy knight¡¯s order, he was even more brutal than any other ruthless knight. Yet in front of Lady Ariel, I think he was pretending to be the most innocent and harmless person in the world.¡± ¡°Yes he is¡­ Thanks to that, Ariel thought that Arsion didn¡¯t even know what lust was.¡± At those words, Aiden looked exasperated. Arsion not knowing what lust was? Ha! The guy whose eyes sparkled intensely whenever he talked about Ariel? When Arsion was a part of the holy knights, Aiden had to work with him and closely watched over him. He was afraid that the other innocent knights might be tainted by Arsion¡¯s intensity. Of course, like an angel crazy about war, Arsion slashed away numerous monsters without any hesitation. Thanks to him, they were comfortable for a while. However, once Arsion cut as many monsters as he had promised to the goddess, he stopped and left for the capital without looking back. ¡°Dreadful man¡­.¡± Aiden kicked his tongue and looked at the wedding hall. He thought about Arsion¡¯s great obsession and tenacity of not letting go of his mate even if he had to die to come to the human world. He was glad Ariel did not know any of this. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m afraid Arsion needs to consider some moderations whenever he cares for Ariel.¡± Aiden snorted at his sister¡¯s words. ¡°Moderation? You can¡¯t use the word ¡®moderation¡¯ for Arsion. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s still biting and licking Lady Ariel, not letting her go.¡± At the same time as the siblings were having their conversation, Ariel was pleading in tears in a room overlooking the garden where the wedding would take place. ¡°No, Sion.¡± Arsion, who had waited impatiently outside, immediately entered the room just as they finished decorating the bride. He said he wanted to talk to her for a while and sent people away. Once everyone left, he approached Ariel and slipped his hand under her wedding dress. ¡°But I can¡¯t stand it. How am I supposed to stay still when you¡¯re so pretty?¡± At his words, Ariel unknowingly relaxed her expression. As if she had come to her senses, she grabbed Arsion¡¯s hand and said, ¡°But last night, you¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Yesterday was yesterday.¡± His words made her sigh. Was Arsion always like this? After mixing in the villa and returning to the capital, Arsion wouldn¡¯t let her go every day. By now, Ariel was so tired. Even on days when they did not have intercourse, he caressed her body all night, asking her to let him touch her. But Ariel couldn¡¯t stop such an Arsion. Whenever she tried to push him away, Arsion looked like a puppy, saying, ¡®Because you taught me.¡¯ As Arsion said, she had no choice but to do him a favor and let him touch her at all times or let him put it in. Of course it was possible only because she didn¡¯t hate it either. ¡°But what if the dress gets messed up. There are people waiting outside too. The makeup shouldn¡¯t smudge either.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll just touch it.¡± Ariel let go of his hand as if she couldn¡¯t help it; she knew Arsion wouldn¡¯t back down even if she held on. Then, Arsion smiled brightly and asked, ¡°Legs, spread them a little more.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± How could he say this with such an angelic face? Ariel opened her legs slightly in tears. Arsion¡¯s hand, covered with white gloves, went underneath the dress. An unstoppable, raised hand rubbed the folds covered by her underwear. The movement of his fingers rubbing against the crack over the thin cloth became faster. Arsion didn¡¯t stop his hand even when he saw Ariel¡¯s body shaking while leaning on the chair. Then, as soon as he pressed down on the rising folds, the liquid from inside made a mark on her underwear. As Ariel staggered, Arsion quickly embraced her body. ¡°H-Hey, that¡¯s enough, right? Ah ¡­.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? We haven¡¯t even started yet.¡± With her hands pressed away, Arsion carefully rolled up the hem of her dress so it wouldn¡¯t leave any wrinkles. Soon enough, her snowy white legs were revealed. Arsion squatted down and looked between her legs. He brought his face closer and smiled in satisfaction at the marks that were submerged by her secretion from his touch. ¡°Sion!¡± Surprised, Ariel tried to back away. But as if he knew what was going to happen, his arms quickly gripped onto her thin legs. ¡°Ahhh!¡± Ariel trembled as soon as she felt a hot breath beneath her. No way, no way¡­¡­. Pretending not to know Ariel¡¯s struggles, Arsion put his lips on the wet part. ¡°You said you¡¯d only touch it!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to touch it with my lips.¡± Ariel tried to say something about his deception, but the moment Arsion¡¯s tongue touched her folds, her face turned pale. His tongue licked over the wet, thin cloth. ¡°It¡¯s getting wetter.¡± ¡°It¡¯s, uh, you know ¡­¡­! Ah, don¡¯t lick me!¡± In the quiet room, the sound of swaying dress, obscene wetting of underwear, and Ariel¡¯s pent-up moaning chimed out. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Arsion, who had been burying his face for a long time, raised himself as if he were sorry. Ariel didn¡¯t even have the strength to answer. ¡°Honestly, I want to do it until the end, but if I do, the wedding will start very late, so I have to put up with it.¡± She couldn¡¯t believe it was like this. Ariel quit trying to argue with him. It was obvious that Arsion would rush back saying, ¡°Then I don¡¯t have to put up with it?¡± She didn¡¯t know if he knew how she felt. Nonetheless, Arsion busied himself with organizing her dress and said, ¡°There¡¯s more to do tonight.¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Things to do at night.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°The book you used to read.¡± ¡°W-What¡¯s with the, uh, book?¡± Ariel¡¯s face blushed when he mentioned the name of the book that was the cause of all this. Over these past few weeks, Arsion opened the book and challenged everything in it with her, saying that they should review it. She thought she was finally done with everything in there, but why was he suddenly bringing up the name of the book? ¡°Did you know that there are two books to it?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I found it a little while ago. I read a little bit, and book two was about how to enjoy the night more.¡± ¡°Now, wait a minute ¡­.¡± Arsion smiled as he kissed the crumpled forehead of Ariel¡¯s startled face. ¡°I want you to teach me part two of ¡®Things to Do at Night¡¯ tonight, Riel.¡± Then he hugged her tightly and whispered in her ear. ¡°It¡¯s better during the day.¡± Arsion said so and hugged Ariel. ¡®Someone who I want to share even a single piece of laughter with, someone who is mine and will never miss for the rest of my life.¡¯ Things to do at night. ¡¸END of Things to do at Night.¡¹