Chapter 317
Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Wolf and Fox
My second wife, Irina, was always demure and innocent.
To be honest, even our first time together had been thanks to that werewolf potion.
After that, she never clung to me so sweetly again.
I gazed at her as she rose early in the morning from the bedroom in the northern palace.
Unlike me, who slept a lot, she always woke up right at 7:00 sharp.
And there she was, sitting by the window where the morning sunlight poured in, offering her prayers.
It was as beautiful as a masterpiece painting.
‘Just looking at her heals me.’
I buried my face in the pillow and watched her prayers with a contented smile.
“Veil, you’re awake?”
Her radiant silver hair was dyed golden in the light.
From within it, Irina’s green eyes shone faintly.
“Yeah. Sorry. I slept the whole day yesterday.”
I rubbed my eyes and mumbled.
Strangely, nights spent with Irina left me exhausted even without doing the deed.
“What were you praying for?”
At my question, the princess who would soon become my imperial sister-in-law curved her lips into a grin.
And with the most benevolent smile in the world, she said,
“That’s a secret.”
It was hard to imagine such a pure Irina seducing me.
Come to think of it, she’d never really shown it outright...
“By the way, isn’t today the day we go to the cathedral?”
Irina rose from her seat and approached me.
She wore a silk nightgown that hugged her body perfectly.
With every step, the elegant curve of her hips stood out beautifully.
“Even if it’s a hassle, remember Father said to go every Sunday?”
The woman tied to me from a past life sat on the bed.
And she let my head rest on her soft, ample thighs.
“I remember... I’ll go later.”
“Good boy. Such a good boy.”
Irina’s hand gently stroked my forehead.
When I glanced up, her sharp nose was all I could see, obscured by the beautiful swell of her breasts.
And that fresh green apple scent...
“I might fall asleep again like this.”
It was so cozy that it nearly lulled me back to sleep, forcing me to sit up.
And the moment I yawned...
‘Hm...?’
As I yawned, a sweet green apple scent rose in my mouth.
My mouth felt sticky around the edges, too, like I hadn’t drunk a sip of water.
‘Did I eat an apple last night before bed or something?’
I washed up roughly and prepared to head to the cathedral.
Irina, sitting alone on the bed, gave me a meaningful smile.
“Listen well to the saintess there.”
“Got it. Meet you after the cathedral.”
After exchanging light farewells with my second wife,
I left the palace alone and headed to the nearby cathedral.
The place where I had married my wives.
‘But how did she know I was meeting the saintess today?’
After prayers ended, parishioners usually went to the confessional for the finale.
There, they unburdened their worries to a priest or saintess to wrap up the day...
I never had many worries, so I’d always chatted casually, switching counselors each time.
“Yawn... She probably just guessed.”
Thinking that, I entered the cathedral and endured the boring prayer time.
About an hour in, I dozed off, only jolting awake to the sound of the parishioners’ hymns.
「Thank you all for your worship. This concludes today’s Sunday service.」
At the priest’s farewell, we all rose from our seats in unison.
Dressed in my rumpled dress shirt, I leisurely made my way to the small prayer room.
I entered and waited idly for today’s assigned saintess to arrive.
――――――.
Soon, a voice came from the other side of the partition.
No door opened, so she must have been waiting inside already.
“Hello, Brother Veil.”
It was a voice I’d never heard before.
Young-sounding, maybe mid-teens.
“Yes, I don’t think we’ve met?”
“That’s right. I’m the new nun here. Saint Marianne.”
I’d heard that to prevent corruption in the cathedral, priests and nuns were rotated frequently.
So I nodded nonchalantly.
“Ah, I see. Nice to meet you.”
“Starting today, I’ll be hearing your confessions.”
The voice from behind the curtain was spirited, as befitted a novice saintess.
I couldn’t help but smirk at it.
“So, can you guess what my worry is?”
“Pardon...?”
At my teasing question, Saint Marianne fell silent for a moment.
Then she replied brightly, with a playful lilt of her own.
“Oh, come on—no can do.”
“Why not?”
I leaned back against the confessional wall and asked leisurely.
“Because it’s your private life as a parishioner.”
“Doesn’t God know everything?”
I’d tease like this whenever a fresh-faced priest came along.
“I could guess. But it wouldn’t be polite—”
“If you guess right, I’ll grant you a wish.”
I rested one arm on the partition.
Propping my chin on my hand, I cocked my head.
“A wish?”
“Yeah, so make it fun for me.”
Silence stretched across the curtain.
Then came a reply, far more serious than at first.
“Understood.”
Her earnest tone made me tense up inexplicably.
Still, it eased my boredom a bit, stirring some anticipation.
“Hm... From what I know, Brother, you have many wives, so it must be wife troubles.”
“A bit broad, don’t you think?”
I snorted, dismissing it.
The saintess on the other side hummed cutely in thought for a moment...
“Then, one of your wives must be the issue.”
She was narrowing the net.
“I know most of you have excellent relationships. If just one is a problem, she must be the lonely one right now?”
“Not lonely. Just... I feel a little sorry for her.”
I had no intention of hiding it, so I answered calmly.
On the other side, the curtain rustled lightly, as if she’d clenched her fist.
“Oh, then you’ve basically told me the answer.”
“Guess so. Count it as a win.”
What wish would a young novice saintess ask for?
I replied leisurely to her youthful voice.
“Great. Then I’ll pray and worry about her with you.”
Her plucky tone drew a chuckle from me.
“First, could you tell me why you feel sorry for her?”
“Hm...”
This time, I fell silent.
Then, with a serious expression, I confessed to the innocent saintess.
“Truth is, she’s too good for me.”
Memories from my past life surfaced gradually.
Back when she was a powerless princess, we’d made yorae together, and she’d wipe apples on her skirt for me.
When we’d both regressed to the past.
「I’ll never let you die in vain.」
Handing me the rosary with those poignant eyes.
The memory made my chest ache.
“And she’s really kind, too.”
Unlike my other wives, she never demanded much affection each day.
She knew I was tired and always stayed by my side to let me sleep and rest easy.
“We take turns, one day a week each. But even on her day, she never asked for much from me.”
“I see... Why do you think that is?”
The saintess asked curiously.
I answered honestly.
“Probably because I’m always tired, so she’s deliberately giving me a break.”
“Even at the cost of her own time with you?”
“Yes...”
Realizing this made me feel even sorrier.
“And lately, I’ve been so exhausted that I just fall asleep on her days.”
I closed my eyes gently.
In a regretful murmur,
“I slept the whole day and couldn’t even greet Irina when she came back from her schedule.”
I let her name slip without thinking.
But it didn’t matter now.
My head was full of guilt toward her.
“I’m really sorry about yesterday.”
Silence settled in the prayer room.
Then Saint Marianne, who’d been listening quietly, spoke first.
“It’s okay, Brother.”
Her voice had softened since I first heard it.
Like a mature woman’s.
“With feelings like that, God will surely forgive you.”
A hand emerged through the curtain.
She placed a small green apple in my partition.
“And your wife knows your warm nature, so she’s not too upset.”
“Really...?”
When I asked cautiously, the saintess replied brightly.
“Yes, so when you see her later, give her a warm hug.”
I stared blankly at the apple she’d given me.
Then I swallowed hard at her next words.
“And thank her for always making you comfortable, thinking of you.”
“......”
Recognize your wife’s efforts and express your gratitude.
It was so simple.
But I knew how much strength those words alone would give my quietly supportive wife.
“Thank you, Saintess. I feel a bit better already.”
I bit hard into the apple.
A sweet scent lingered at the tip of my nose.
“Then I’ll go tell my wife right now.”
I shot up from the chair.
As I grabbed the confessional door, I said,
“That I’m really grateful for her letting me rest easy, thinking of me.”
I yanked the door open.
But in that moment...
“Huh?”
The apple I’d bitten into gave off a familiar smell.
Just like this morning.
‘The scent from my yawn when I woke up was exactly like this...?’
“Brother.”
While I stood there dumbfounded alone,
The saintess’s voice came from the other side again.
“I haven’t made my wish yet.”
Her suddenly serious tone made me sit back down.
“Ah, right... Sorry. Can I hear it after we’re done?”
I came to my senses and apologized with a forced smile.
But.
“No. Hear it here.”
Her voice turned deadly serious in an instant, wiping the smile from my face.
It had been so youthful just moments ago.
Now it sounded like a fully mature woman.
“Ah, yes... Okay. What’s your wish?”
As I asked, I heard someone rising on the other side.
Then a hand cautiously emerged through the curtain.
“First, could you extend your hand?”
“......?”
Puzzled, I stuck my hand out as she said.
No one on the continent was stronger than me anyway.
Nothing could threaten me.
“Here. What are you even—...”
Soon, a warm touch caressed my hand.
But oddly, the saintess’s hand was incredibly sticky.
Like she’d been sweating.
“Is the prayer room that hot? Why are you sweating so much?”
“Yeah. It was really stuffy in here for so long...”
I tilted my head at the overly firm handshake.
Then her next words turned my face pale.
“And because I held back for so long.”
‘Held back...?’
Soon, her hand pulled mine toward her side.
The moment my fingertips touched something,
I felt incredibly soft, smooth skin.
Like a woman’s belly.
“Saintess...?! What are you—...”
My face flushed as I demanded hurriedly.
But her hand didn’t stop.
“My wish is...”
The hand she guided mine with climbed higher and higher.
Over smooth, ample flesh.
“To spend the whole day here praying together with Brother Veil today.”
“......!”
In that instant, the saintess’s youthful voice completely changed.
That’s how I realized who the woman on the other side was.
“No way...”
The partition curtain parted.
The inner grate opened from her side, merging the two prayer rooms.
“Are you that sorry to me, Veil?”
As the curtain split to the side,
“Cute.”
Irina appeared, dressed as a saintess.
“Irina...?! How are you—...”
“How? I came to pray, too.”
A thin black cloth barely wrapped her sensual ex-princess figure.
Soaked with sweat from hiding in the prayer room, her lewd curves showed right through.
“Are you that sorry to me?”
“Y-Yeah... Sorry, always falling asleep alone.”
Irina straddled my lap with her ample thighs.
From beneath her veil, she flashed a very lascivious smile.
“Then you’ll have to atone.”
In a look utterly opposite to the innocent one from morning.
“I’m no bad fox who’d break a promise with the saintess, right?”
The confessional door locked.
Irina half-lidded her seductive eyes and breathed hotly.
“So, shall we pray together now?”
Her thighs, once gripping a warhorse, lightly pinned me down.
Each sway highlighted her even more voluptuous figure, now bearing our first child.
From within the sticky, thin saintess robes.
“Got it.”
I finally realized.
Not a single one of my wives was demure or starved for love.
The apple scent in my mouth every night.
And the reason for my exhaustion came clear.