"*Sigh...*"
Breathing out a weary sigh, he takes steps toward the grand entrance of the vast lobby of the Lobi As family's mansion.
"If I had accepted their favor this time, it would've been a real disaster..."
Feeling like he barely escaped the clutches of malice, he lets out a sigh of relief and eases the tension that had suddenly built up.
He takes a moment to catch his breath, recalling the near-disaster that just occurred. Having overcome all challenges and barely receiving permission for the adventure, he hoped everything would end warmly and he could return to his daily life when...
"I wish to see my grandchild soon since you two are destined to marry anyway."
Out of nowhere, Mirina's bombshell statement surprised him, and Erina, having heard it, looked at him suspiciously, seemingly plotting a benevolent crime against him.
"How about staying at our mansion tonight?!"
It sounded like a kidnapper sweet-talking a child, promising a comfortable stay and urging him to stay just for one night. But there's a limit to audacity, and her intentions were crystal clear, yet she boldly made the suggestion.
"Haha... I think that might be a bit difficult..."
Feeling no need to explain further, he politely declines her generous offer and prepares to leave the room when...
"Why? Our family's mansion has great facilities, you know? It will surely be the best night!"
It seemed like she was trying to force him to stay, regardless of his refusal.
"No, thank you!"
With no other option, he decided to forcefully push through, leaping toward the exit at full speed before she could lay a hand on him. It felt as if he was desperately escaping from a room with a bomb. Just as Erina was about to vanish from his sight, he caught a brief but definite glimpse of her.
"Ah..."
She looked disappointed, as if her plan had gone awry. Yet, there was a firm determination in her eyes that showed her resolve to fulfill her wishes no matter what.
Chills!
Recalling the atmosphere around Erina at that moment gave him goosebumps, despite the warm weather.
Fortunately, now that he had escaped, there was no sign of her pursuing him. He cautiously looked back, but the front door remained still.
"*Whew...*"
Although he couldn't be entirely sure, he felt relatively safe, so he began to relax and finally started moving.
With every step, a sense of liberation washed over him, making him want to burst into song and dance with joy. The weight of his steps lightened, and the corners of his mouth rose.
"Come to think of it, I should go see Eleona, shouldn't I?"
However, the thought of facing the next challenge dampened his spirits. Having introduced Erina to Eleona, his ex-girlfriend, and then asking for marriage approval would surely be seen as audacious by Eleona.
"How should I face her?"
No matter how hard he thought, he didn't want to face Eleona, but it was inevitable. So, he thought of taking this opportunity to sort things out.
"Well, I have to go anyway..."
His once-light steps became heavy again, but he forced himself to move forward, exiting the main gate. The bustling streets greeted him, and the hustle and bustle felt oddly peaceful.
"Should I think of excuses while heading to the shrine?"
The noisy voices and overlapping footsteps seemed especially calming. Lost in his thoughts, he walked along when suddenly...
"...?"
His heart began to race for some unknown reason, filling him with a sense of unease. "Why is this happening..?"
The heart suddenly starts racing without any reason. He feels detached from his body, almost as if he's experiencing an ironic sensation, prompting him to question what's going on.
And then...
Thump —!
"Ugh?!!"
A sudden surge of pain hits him... as if a balloon filled with nitrogen has burst. The abnormal acceleration of his heartbeat is followed by a sharp pain that makes him wince.
"Ugh, aaah-!"
Unexpectedly struck by this pain, he finds himself screaming in the middle of the street. The intense agony causes him to collapse and writhes on the dirty ground.
Following this is an unpleasant sensation, feeling as if something is wriggling inside him, a revolting feeling.
However, simultaneously, there's a sense of familiarity... it's not a sensation he's encountering for the first time.
"Huh?!"
A voice, as if gasping for air, coupled with fleeting memories that cross his mind... It feels similar to the sensation he experienced a few hours ago, right after the matter with the heretic ended.
It's like an enormous parasite wriggling uncomfortably within him...
The pain he felt now was almost identical to what he had experienced earlier.
But the difference now is that he can more clearly identify the source of the pain. It's the darkness proliferating within him... and the pain stemming from that darkness spreading throughout his body.
Why? Without any evidence, he has an intuition about it. An illogical deduction, but his survival instincts scream out to him that it's undoubtedly the case.
"Ugh... ack...!!"
The pain, showing no signs of subsiding, seemed to persist longer than the first time he experienced it. Along with this elongated pain, he hears something that bothers him.
'Destruction... downfall... wailing... resentment...'
An unfamiliar voice keeps whispering negative words into his ears, the pain and whispers forming a torturous harmony, making him feel as if he's losing his sanity.
"Ugh, aaah!"
He screams out, not knowing how many times he's done so already. He tries to block his ears from the voices, but the whispers continue.
Stop... stop it!!
Despite his desperate pleas, the dark energy within him continues to grow.
"No... something's wrong... I need to-! Are you okay...?"
"...?!"
Suddenly, a clear and concerned voice reaches his ears.
"Um... what..?"
By the time he regains his composure, the pain and whispers have vanished.
At the same time, he finds the leisure to look around, and when he turns toward the voice,
"Are you okay? You suddenly screamed and collapsed on the street. Are you feeling unwell?"
A woman speaks to him with a mix of emotions on her face.
He looks around to gauge the situation.
"Why's that man behaving like that?"
"Did he have a seizure in the middle of the road? Does he have some disease?"
"I kind of feel pity for him..."
He draws the attention of everyone around, receiving a mix of sympathetic, pitiful, and strange looks. The realization that he's become the center of attention brings on a wave of embarrassment.
"I'm... I'm okay... just felt a sudden discomfort... Thank you for your concern."
He gets up as if nothing happened, expresses gratitude to the woman who spoke to him, and tries his best to distance himself from the scene.
But having been the center of attention, he continues to feel the prying eyes on him for a while and tries to maintain a stoic face as he walks on.
And a burning question occupies his mind:
These sudden bouts of pain, both now and earlier with Erina and Miru, what are they?
Though he's only experienced it twice, comparing the first incident to now, it seems like this phenomenon worsens over time.
What was that dagger the heretic threw? What ominous power does it hold that it's causing these events? "Should I ask the goddess...?"
However, I couldn't come up with an answer, and I felt compelled to find Eleona every passing second.
"Goddess...? I, Herald, have come to see Lady Eleona."
Upon arriving at her temple, I opened the massive doors and cautiously stepped inside.
I tried to be as discreet as possible, quickly making my way inside.
Before long, I reached the small altar where Eleona usually sat, but she was nowhere to be found.
"Goddess?"
It was strange; she should have been there.
From the entrance, I had sensed something off, and my intuition was right: Eleona wasn't there. The temple felt eerily empty, and only my voice echoed in the silence.
"Is she not here?"
The temple was too quiet, almost as if she had disappeared.
"Lady Eleona?"
What happened? Why wasn't she where she was supposed to be?
Suddenly, a strong grip immobilized me from behind.
"?!?"
Someone had me in their grasp, taking away my control.
Caught off guard, I was helpless, with the force trying to restrain me.
"Who... who are you?!"
An unidentified person was overpowering me from behind. Any attempt to resist was met with pain as they seemed to know my weak spots.
Who ambushed me? Their skill wasn't ordinary.
Who could it be...?!
As I tried to deduce the identity of the person behind me, a familiar voice whispered into my ear, making my nerves tense up in anxiety.
"So you finally show your face, knight."
Her cold voice made me break out in a cold sweat.
As I had suspected, Eleona was very upset.
"You, my faithful follower, who used to visit daily, suddenly disappeared. When you finally returned, you asked for my blessing to marry... after bringing another woman to my sanctuary. Do you still consider yourself loyal to me?"
I had no words to defend myself against her accusations.
"Shh... sigh..."
Suddenly, she released her grip and turned me around to face her directly. She placed a hand on my shoulder, demanding the truth.
"You better have a good explanation."
It was clear that any deception would not be tolerated. If I deviated even slightly from the truth, I would face severe consequences.
"Well... the thing is..."
I began hesitantly, trying to regain my composure. To alleviate her suspicions, I described everything that had happened, ensuring it was concise, accurate, and easy to understand.
Of course, I omitted some details that might upset her further, and made slight modifications to certain parts.
"That's what happened..."
She listened intently without interrupting. Although her expression suggested she still had doubts, the atmosphere seemed to lighten slightly.
However, even after I finished speaking, Eleona remained silent, staring at me with a neutral yet slightly dishappy expression. "Lady Eleona?"
Despite calling her name, she continued to watch me with the same expression. However, only for a moment. Suddenly, she buried her face in my chest, entrusting her weight to me.
"Wha-?!"
Caught off guard, I couldn't react in time. Losing my balance, I fell to the ground with her on top.
"Herald."
From an odd position, Eleona, still in my embrace, spoke.
"Hold me."
I was taken aback by her unexpected declaration and was momentarily at a loss for words.
"What?"
After a brief pause, my thoughts returned. I wondered if I had misheard, but her words remained the same.
"I told you to hold me."
She continued to speak quietly, her face still buried in my chest.
"But... that's impossible-"
Naturally, I intended to refuse her request. I even began to voice my objection, but...
"Shh..."
"Lady Eleona...?"
When she lifted her head, I couldn't finish what I was saying. Because at that moment, she was crying. The stern and serious demeanor from before was replaced with tears of sadness and a pleading look.
The sudden turn of events left me in shock, but as I grasped the situation, I met her gaze with utmost seriousness.
"In truth... I knew when you were on the brink of death."
Through her tears, she revealed a shocking truth.
"What do you mean?"
So she knew what I had been through...
Did she cry out of accumulated sorrow, worried about the near-death experience I faced?
Thinking of Eleona crying with such sorrow, I felt a pang of concern.
"When you were at the point of losing your life... the feeling from that moment still lingers vividly... It must've been when that heretic's dagger pierced my heart... Realizing I could've died, Eleona clung to me even tighter, shedding tears.
"Of course, when you first brought that woman, Erina, I felt nothing but anger... but..."
Wiping away her overflowing tears with her sleeve, she poured out all her emotions.
"After that moment, when you were close to death, I was filled with nothing but worry for you."
Her sorrow transformed into excitement.
"After that, I fervently wished to the heavens, hoping you'd return safely to my side. Even if you were with that woman, I prayed countless times, hoping to see your bright face again."
"Of course, a part of me still feels resentment towards that woman, Erina. But to me, you are of utmost importance."
As she wept, Eleona sobbed in anguish.
"Please, hold me. Make up for the sin of making a god cry. Grant me solace after enduring such eternal worry..."
She poured out all her emotions and looked at me with a complex expression. Eleona's face displayed a mix of sadness, worry, anxiety, impatience, despair, and lingering jealousy and resentment towards Erina.
But the predominant feelings were worry and sadness towards me. Recognizing this, I felt a newfound sympathy for her. Although I felt her jealousy, I also sensed her concern and tears for me. Somehow, I saw her in a new light.
Her frail, crying figure evoked feelings of pity, a desire to comfort, and an unexpected affection.
What is this feeling?
I felt strangely moved, and a foreign emotion urged me to make a choice. My heart raced, and heat rose to my face. Looking at Eleona's tear-streaked face, a strange urge welled up within me.
"Herald?"
Sensing the change in my demeanor, Eleona whispered my name with a hint of curiosity. And, receiving her response, I gently held Eleona's beautiful cheek and
*kiss* ㅡ
I took the initiative and kissed Eleona.