A Day Before the Journey to Burung City – Celine’s Confession and Abel’s Gentle Reply
One day before setting out for Burung City, Celine had been chattering nonstop at Estelle.
Her ruby-red eyes sparkled with mischief as she coaxed the Saint with a teasing smile.
“Saint-nim, why don’t we try it?”
“W-what exactly are we trying?”
“Something… you know…”
“Kyaaah!”
Estelle clapped a hand over Celine’s mouth in a panic.
Abel, startled by the sudden shriek, turned around.
“Saint-nim?”
“Oh, nothing at all, Hero-nim♡”
“…”
Abel gave her a suspicious look but accepted the answer and faced forward again.
Estelle let out a relieved sigh and shot Celine a glare.
“…Celine, why do you keep bringing this up?”
“Because the Saint is frustrating me.”
“S-still, that has nothing to do with you.”
“Then can I really take her first?”
“No way!”
Celine giggled at Estelle’s firm refusal.
“Then muster up some courage. Honestly… if you keep dragging your feet, someone else will snatch her away for sure, right?”
“…”
“Didn’t you hear Elfride’s earlier remarks?”
Estelle’s expression stiffened slightly.
She recalled the actions and reactions Elfride had shown Abel before, and she immediately understood what Celine was implying.
“You have to make the most of the time you spend with the Hero. Who knows if he’ll end up with Elfride later?”
“W-we Hero-nim won’t… he’s still a virgin…!”
“Hah, Saint-nim. Think about it from his perspective. Would you rather he keeps someone by his side who only teases him without showing real affection… or someone who meets him occasionally, acts kind and charming, and expresses her feelings honestly?”
At the mention of “expressing her feelings honestly,” Estelle pictured Chloe.
She also remembered how dense Abel had been at the time of Chloe’s bold advances.
“H-however…”
“Teasing is fine. It’s an effective way to grab his attention. But Saint-nim, you need to show him your true feelings and tease him properly. Otherwise, he’ll never fall for you.”
“D-detest…?”
Estelle didn’t want to be disliked by Abel.
Back when he had gotten angry with her, she had genuinely feared for her life.
She was terrified he might push her away.
“So Saint-nim, the timing is perfect now. Let’s do it. Otherwise you really will lose your turn.”
“…”
“I-I don’t really care about order…”
“Really? Then I can go first, right?”
“N-no!”
Seeing Estelle’s contradictory answer—claiming order didn’t matter but then immediately denying it—Celine let out a soft chuckle.
“Why are you so unwilling to be honest?”
“…”
“…It’s embarrassing.”
“…”
“Saint-nim, you’ve always been so bold with the Hero.”
“That’s just teasing… You told me to tease someone I’m interested in.”
“…”
“The nun you mentioned before?”
“Yes.”
“Maybe you should listen to what that nun has to say…”
Whatever the identity of that nun in the Solaria Church, Celine wondered silently.
“Anyway, go ahead and confess your true feelings. I’m sure the Hero won’t reject you.”
“…”
“By the time it’s too late, another woman might already have her turn. I’m not saying I would, but who knows how many girls like Elfride might appear?”
Estelle couldn’t deny the logic.
Chloe had been in the exact same position before Celine joined the party.
In the end, after deep consideration, Estelle nodded.
“…”
“Oh, I understand.”
“Great. Then I’ll make the arrangements…”
From that moment on, the conspiracy between Celine and Estelle began, and the plan was set in motion at the inn in Burung City.
#
Who would have thought this woman could wear such a lovely smile?
Not a single person had ever seen it.
After searching through every memory, she realized it had never been shown to anyone.
Showing that expression only to her meant she could read the man’s true intentions even if she brought over a complete idiot.
“…”
“Saint-nim.”
“Yes, Abel.”
At some point she began calling him by name.
Her eyes, fixed on him, brimmed with sincere affection.
“You’re serious?”
Even so, he asked again in a foolish way.
He knew the question was stupid, yet the reality still felt distant.
Right now, this moment felt like a dream—if he closed his eyes, it might vanish.
However, the Saint gently squeezed his hand as if proving the moment was real.
“Does it feel like a lie?”
“…”
“Then why did you ask?”
“…”
“I’m sorry.”
It was a genuinely foolish question, he thought.
When he apologized, the Saint let out a light, playful laugh.
“If it still doesn’t feel real, I’ll tell you again.”
“Eh?”
For the sake of this awkward man, she confessed her heart once more.
“I love you. I love you more than anyone else.”
“…”
He had to answer.
His lips refused to move.
Confessing one’s true feelings should be easy, yet it felt incredibly difficult.
He could faintly sense how much courage it must have taken for the Saint to open up to him.
The Saint didn’t rush him.
She simply gazed at him steadily and waited.
Still, he felt a faint tension in the slender fingers entwined with his.
“I… I…”
“Yes.”
Say it already, you idiot.
After a long, agonizing pause, he finally opened his heart.
“…”
“I love you too, Estelle.”
Estelle.
He spoke her name as if it were his own precious star.
Her eyes, reflected in the amber orb, sparkled with tears.
Her closed lips parted slightly, and a voice heavy with emotion spilled out.
“That means…”
“My star…”
“…”
“I’ve wanted to hear those words from you more than anything, Abel.”
Her tears glistened like moonlight filtering through the window, and her flawless white skin radiated a soft blue glow.
Her cheeks flushed pink, and her peach-colored lips pressed tightly together in embarrassment.
He knew she was beautiful, but seeing her like this made his heart swell.
“…”
Without a word, he lifted his hand and gently touched her flushed cheek.
Her amber eyes widened for a moment in surprise, then slowly closed.
He wasn’t completely oblivious; he understood the meaning.
He withdrew his hand and cupped her delicate shoulder.
Then, with infinite care, he covered her pink lips that waited for him.
#
Estelle led him to the bed.
There was no need to explain what that meant.
“Saint-nim…”
“Call me Estelle.”
“…”
“Is it… okay?”
Honestly, she could have taken her time.
Even after confessing their feelings, rushing into intimacy wasn’t necessary.
Moreover, Estelle was a Saint of the Solaria Church.
Could she truly ignore doctrine?
“Because of doctrine?”
“…”
“It’s fine. Doctrine is just doctrine; it has no actual effect.”
“But… does it affect divine power…?”
“Would the Goddess block the love of the precious person she chose?”
That was true.
The Solaria Goddess would not deny the happiness of the chosen.
“…”
“The explanation is sufficient?”
Estelle sat on the bed, her voice carrying a seductive tone.
She wanted to seduce him, yet embarrassment kept her cheeks flushed bright red.
She couldn’t hold back anymore.
His hand reached out instinctively toward her.
He stopped himself, remembering the reason.
“…”
“I’ll get a condom.”
He should have bought one earlier.
Feeling awkward, he tried to stand up.
However, a hand suddenly grabbed him.
“W-what should we do♡? Today happens to be a safe day for the Hero…”
She wasn’t talking about protection at all.
Even so, it felt like a joke, but her expression told him otherwise.
She was simply too shy to speak plainly.
…A safe day?
“Really?”
“…”
“W-w-was it just coincidence♡?”
“…”
“I believe you.”
#
The darkness that had once veiled the union of beloved souls vanished.
The grace of the Solaria Church spread everywhere.
Abel opened his sleepy eyes, blinded by the brilliant light.
“…”
“What time is it?”
The sunlight was already quite strong, so morning had long passed.
He let out a groan and turned his head.
“Ah…”
A beautiful black-haired woman slept soundly beside him.
Long, neatly arranged lashes rested on her closed eyelids.
Her nose was straight and elegant.
And her lips—peach-colored, the very ones he had tasted with last night—were soft and inviting.
Seeing such overwhelming beauty, Abel gave his own cheek a light slap.
“…”
“It really didn’t feel real.”
He carefully brushed a strand of hair from her cheek.
“Saint-nim…”
He glanced at the sacred sword leaning against the wall.
And then at Estelle.
“…”
She had changed.
The blade, as written in the diary, had indeed become a sharp toothed saw at the upper edge.
The feather-like description seemed oddly fitting.
“…”
“Does it mean that becoming one with the one you love is a kind of order?”
That was precisely what it meant.
That he loved Estelle.
“…”
“Yeah… my taste was good from the start.”
Her appearance had always matched his preference.
The issue had been her usual teasing behavior.
Now that she had grown on him, or perhaps he had simply grown to like it unconsciously…
“…”
He gently stroked the soft cheek of the sleeping Estelle.
“Mmm…”
“…”
“She’s so cute.”
Touching her plump cheek a little longer, he leaned in and whispered.
“Estelle, I really do love you.”
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**End of Chapter**