It was yet another peaceful night in Rosa City. A refreshing breeze swept through the streets with a hint of spring’s warmth.

  Sitting on a chair, Roel looked past the railings to gaze upon the bustling night scene beyond the tower he was in. A long time later, he remarked wistfully.

  “Rosa sure is a prosperous land.”


  Unlike the modern world, the concept of ‘night life’ wasn’t commonplace in the Sia Continent. Illumination tools in this era weren’t particularly expensive, but it was still a cost in itself. On top of that, their degree of illumination was poor, making them not particularly functional. The larger a city was, the more difficult it would be to light it up at night.

  Places like the Ascart City would usually be plunged completely into darkness a few hours after nightfall. Its people were already accustomed to rising at dawn and sleeping at dusk, a habit inculcated due to their environment.

  As one of the most prosperous cities in the world, Rosa’s night was very different from that of the rest of the world. Its streets and alleys were filled with special ores the Sorofyas had mined from the southern mountain range. They lit up just by infusing mana into them, replacing traditional light sources.

  When night fell over Rosa, lights of different colors would fill the city, breathing life into the streets. Night markets were established and swiftly grew in popularity, attracting huge crowds. It made Roel feel as if he had returned back to his previous life.

  “It truly is a prosperous city, but this means it’s noisy too. I prefer the peaceful night of prayers in the Holy Capital much more.

  “Everyone has their own preferences. As the heart of the church, the Holy Capital does feel much more solemn and quieter.”


  “Which do you prefer?”


  Sitting opposite of the dining table, Nora placed her wine cup down as she looked at Roel intently. Roel felt his heart skip a beat. He sensed that there was something different about Nora today, so he took some time to ruminate before answering.

  “I like them both. When I’m bored, it’d nice to drop by Rosa to uncover novel delights. When I’m feeling frustrated, the calming prayers echoing in the streets of the Holy Capital will put my heart at ease. Of course, I still prefer Ascart City the most. It’s my home, after all.”


  Sorry, but my nest is still the best of all.

  Faced with Nora’s deliberate question, Roel threw out a third answer and dug his way out of the trap. Surprisingly, Nora didn’t respond to his answer. She turned her head beyond the railings to quietly gaze at the distant scenery. Faced with such a peculiar response, Roel’s forehead gradually furrowed.

  “.……”


  What’s going on?

  Roel was perplexed.

  It was an hour ago that Roel arrived at Nora’s residence in Rosa City. While undead reanimation was quite a rare status condition, it wasn’t too difficult to dispel. The medical team in Rosa were more than equipped to deal with it. However, as he was in a rush to advance his Origin Level, as well as considering the fact that it had been a while since he last met Nora, he decided to pay her a visit.

  The Xeclyde’s Angel Bloodline had many practical uses, and one of them was curbing the effect of undead reanimation. With Nora’s help, it didn’t take long for Roel to fully recover. However, during the treatment, Roel noticed that Nora was in low spirits. It felt like she was brooding over something.

  He initially thought that she was feeling down due to the mistake she made earlier, leading to her feeling a little awkward before him. However, from the looks of it now, it seemed like she had really stumbled onto a problem.

  “Nora, is there anything you’d like to say to me?”


  After careful consideration, Roel decided to cut right into the issue. Nora turned her head over upon hearing his question. Her mouth opened and closed hesitantly several times before eventually converging into a deep sigh.

  Nora Xeclyde was indeed in a bad mood at the moment.

  Charlotte’s question earlier in the banquet was a thorn in her heart, leaving her feeling incredibly frustrated every time she thought about it. Due to her position as the successor to the Theocracy’s crown, she had her hands full with work and had hardly any time to spend with Roel., resulting in their long-distance relationship.

  All along, she thought that their weekly letters and occasional short ‘video calls’ were enough to sustain their relationship, but Charlotte’s appearance had fully awakened her sense of danger.

  Similar to how Alicia had suddenly become aggressive due to Charlotte’s appearance, Nora was also profoundly affected by her presence too. She found herself weighed down by doubts, and she was suddenly deeply fearful of losing Roel.

  “Roel, there’s a question that I’ve been wanting to ask you all along…… Are you happy being with me?”


  After a long internal struggle, she finally bucked up her courage to ask her question. Roel widened his eyes in astonishment from the abrupt question before confusion seeped into his eyes.

  Nora was one of the most esteemed individuals in the younger generation. Be it through the Saint Mesit Theocracy or the Genesis Goddess Church, she wielded immense influence that could stir ripples throughout the whole of the Sia Continent. Even Charlotte’s father, Bruce, would have to maintain a respectful attitude to her.

  Was it even possible for anyone in the world to be unhappy to have a girl like that swearing on her honor to protect him?

  “Nora, what’s wrong? Why are you asking such a question?”


  “All this while, I have been forcing you to go along with me and my peculiar interests. I don’t know if my forceful attitude has repulsed you……”


  “Ah?”


  Roel was stunned by the question. It took a while before he sighed deeply and responded.

  “Say, just what in the world is going through that mind of yours? Don’t you know better than anyone else what kind of person I am? If I really disliked you, you wouldn’t even have an opportunity to get close to me at all. Besides, have I ever asked you to change anything?”


  Roel rubbed the center of his forehead in frustration before looking at the astounded golden-haired girl in the eye and continued.

  “Nora, I don’t think that humans should restrain one another through their bonds. Instead, they should be trying to support one another. It’s unlike you to change so easily just because of another person’s opinion.”


  “!”


  His clear and concise words shattered Nora’s inner conflict, awakening her from her dilemma. Under the intent gaze of his golden eyes, the worries that had been weighing her mind down slowly dissipated, and her hesitant sapphire eyes regained their usual hardy gleam.

  “.…… You’re right. This is really unlike me.”


  The golden-haired girl exhaled softly as a smile returned to her face. When she finally raised her head once more, she had already returned back to her usual confident self.

  “It wouldn’t do for me to be wishy-washy as your protector. Besides…… I also know deep down that I can’t change myself.”


  A leopard can never change its spots. Nora was a natural predator in the world; those instincts were instilled in her from birth. She could suppress her nature for Roel’s sake, but a day would come where she wouldn’t be able to repress herself anymore. She also knew that Roel wouldn’t want her to do that either because he knew what the real Nora was like.

  She was a person who was going to inherit the pride and glory of the Saint Mesit Theocracy, a high and lofty figure. It was only a matter of time before she took over as the queen and became one of the leaders of mankind. There was no need for her to change at all, and there was no one who could make her change either.

  “You are Nora Xeclyde. There’s no one in this world who can control you, so it’ll be fine as long as you remain you.”


  Roel gazed at the distant mountain range as he spoke deeply. His understanding words touched the golden-haired girl’s heart. Her eyes glistened a little as her instincts began to grab hold of her once more.

  “I understand. To affirm your words, won’t you give me some encouragement?”


  Noticing Nora’s quivering body, Roel was taken aback for a moment before finally nodding his head slightly.

  Indeed, words are empty. I should offer her support if she needs me…… What does her ‘encouragement’ refer to though?

  Roel was still wondering what he had to do in this situation when he suddenly saw Nora washing her hands using a Cleansing Spell.

  ???

  Wait a moment, why does this scene look oddly familiar?

  Realization suddenly struck Roel, causing his face to warp in astonishment. But before he could stop Nora, the latter had already dabbed her finger into a jar on the table to scoop up a bit of fruit jam.

  She rose to her feet as lust cloaked her saintly face. She gently licked on the jam on her finger before delivering it before the dumbfounded Roel.

  “Come, have a lick. Don’t worry, it’s sweet.”


  Nora persuaded gently with a face flushed in excitement. Her inviting eyes, her alluring disposition, and her perfect appearance created an irresistible charm that drew others in. Roel’s head heated up as he tried to reject her, but recalling how downcast she was earlier, he found himself wondering hesitantly if he should go along with her so as to encourage her.

  A long time later, under the intent gaze of sapphire eyes, he decided to fulfill his promise.

  “Only this time.”


  Roel muttered his condition with a deep sigh, and Nora nodded in response. Then, Roel averted his gaze as he leaned forward to suckled on her finger. Just the thought that Nora had licked on the jam earlier made his face turn completely red.

  On the other hand, Nora could feel the slight movements of his tongue, and it sent shudder through her body. Her pupils gradually dilated in excitement.

  “!”


  Looking as the man she loved licked her finger, her breathing grew heavier. After ten seconds of pleasure, Roel finally lifted his head and backed away with a complicated look on his face.

  “.…… This should be enough, right?”


  “Mm. This is enough,” replied Nora with a nod. “Now it’s time for the reward.”


  “Ah? Reward?”


  Roel blinked his eyes in confusion. The next moment, Nora suddenly leaned forward and sealed his lips, delivering the last bit of jam lingering in her mouth to him.

  I guess I should be satisfied with this much for now.

  Nora thought as she enjoyed her dessert.