Her Private Cathedral
“Sua.”
From the very next day, Tezman began calling her Sua instead of Sister. It was at her own request that he stop using the title.
He actually enjoyed calling her by that name. The problem was the rest of the staff. They could hardly continue addressing her as Sister indefinitely, so Tezman found himself wrestling with the dilemma.
In the end he had standardized the name Sua, yet even that left him unsatisfied.
He needed something different for her, something special that set him apart from everyone else.
“Perhaps a pet name.”
His murmured words drifted as his gaze turned toward the garden. It wasn’t that he held any particular fondness for the place. He simply looked out at it often because the view somehow steadied his mind.
Today, however, was different. The moment he saw Sua strolling through the garden in a pure white dress, his heart began to race. The way she examined every corner with such open wonder was adorable, yet it also ignited a fierce urge to drag her inside and ravish her on the spot.
A low, rough breath escaped his lips.
What am I supposed to do? When she likes something this much, I want to give her the world and destroy it at the same time.
A selfish impulse surged forward—the desire that the only thing she should ever adore was him. Still, knowing he would give her anything if it made her happy, Tezman let out a soft laugh.
Leroy’s face registered open surprise when laughter spilled from Tezman’s lips as he continued staring at the garden. The reaction was only natural.
Tezman had always been as expressionless as Leroy himself. Searching his memory, Leroy could not recall a single instance of the man laughing, growing angry, or showing sorrow.
Yet here he was, laughing. His eyes remained fixed on Sua in the garden, unable to conceal the tender affection in his gaze. Leroy’s own eyes followed, drifting past the window.
There she was, moving among the riot of fully bloomed flowers. Amid their vivid, extravagant colors, her modest grace instantly captured Leroy’s attention.
He had been drinking in the sight of her bright smile and light steps when Tezman’s voice pulled him back.
“Leroy.”
“…Yes, Lord Tezman.”
“I know you would never dare.”
Despite his relaxed expression, Tezman’s voice had dropped to a dangerous low.
“Even though I know how beautiful our Sua is.”
Leroy’s pupils quivered faintly. He had grasped the true meaning behind the words.
“Lord Tezman.”
“I know.”
Tezman understood better than anyone that Leroy would never covet what belonged to his master. He trusted the man’s loyalty without question.
Even so, a warning was necessary—to draw the line before any feelings could take root.
Had it been anyone else, a bullet would already be lodged in their skull. Leroy knew the leniency was granted only because it was him. He longed to drop to his knees and beg forgiveness, yet he also understood that was not the response his master sought.
There was only one thing he could say.
“I will ensure it never disturbs you again.”
With the face of a man who had committed a mortal sin, Leroy’s gaze fell to the floor. Tezman simply nodded in reply.
Just then, Sua’s voice drifted up from the garden. She must have encountered the hunting dogs. Despite their fearsome appearance, they were wagging their tails at her with gentle enthusiasm. Tezman congratulated himself once more on having trained them so thoroughly.
He had seen to their training personally—letting them memorize her scent from the clothes she wore, teaching them never to bare their teeth at her. The dogs were remarkably intelligent; they seemed to instinctively understand who their master valued most. The way they lavished her with affection they never showed Cact proved it beyond doubt.
If even the fiercely loyal Leroy could be shaken by her, how could mere beasts hope to resist?
Tezman clicked his tongue. He had sensed the danger even when she wore her nun’s habit, but seeing her now with her hair unbound and dressed in that pristine white gown only intensified his unease. If she captivated him so completely, she would surely affect others the same way.
Perhaps he should have kept her in the habit after all. Wrap her up tightly so that only he could look at her. Maybe he should clear the capos and soldiers from the grounds entirely whenever she stepped outside.
Ever since meeting Sua, awakening emotions he once believed he would never possess had not been easy. At times he burned with savage possessiveness; at others he was consumed by jealousy.
Yet he did not dislike it. These feelings had been born because of her.
Knock, knock.
A soft rap sounded at the study door—lighter than usual. Tezman’s lips curved into a gentle smile. He had been lost in a flood of thoughts. It seemed she had finished exploring the garden. Through the narrow opening of the door, he caught sight of her. Both Tezman and Leroy turned their gazes toward Sua at the same moment.
“Ah, I’m sorry. Were you working…? Did I interrupt?”
She smiled awkwardly at the two men. Tezman extended his hand.
“Sua.”
Understanding that the use of her name was an invitation, she stepped forward. Tezman pulled her into his arms the moment she drew near and asked,
“How was the garden?”
“It was so beautiful. I was genuinely surprised— I had no idea such a wonderful place existed here. Oh, and Cact was kind enough to explain everything.”
He brushed her hair back with careful fingers.
“If you want, I can tear the whole garden out and create something new.”
Sua waved her hands in alarm.
“No, absolutely not. Oh, right—everyone will be staying here to work, yes? I promised MacPhee I’d make pie with her today.”
MacPhee was the housekeeper who managed Tezman’s estate. While a dedicated chef handled the main meals, desserts were usually her domain.
Sua had lived by the rigid daily schedule of the monastery for so long that the idle days at the mansion left her visibly restless. She seemed unable to adjust to a life with nothing to do. It was Tezman who had made the suggestion: perhaps she might enjoy tending to the garden or learning to bake alongside MacPhee.
For someone who had only ever considered becoming a nun and never thought of learning anything else, it was a welcome offer. Today marked her first attempt at baking with the housekeeper.
“It might not taste very good… but wait for me! Pie is best when it’s warm, so we’ll eat it together.”
“Are you saying I should share the very first pie you’ve ever made?”
Sua looked at him as though she saw no issue at all.
“Is that not allowed?”
“Of course it isn’t.”
He lowered his head to the curve of her neck and grazed her skin with his teeth in a light, possessive bite.
“Ah.”
“The first one must be for me alone.”
His words were thick with monopolizing desire. Sua nodded obediently.
“All right. I’ll be back soon.”
He had been smiling at her with genuine warmth, but the moment the door closed behind her, his face returned to its usual blank mask.
“Cact.”
“Yes, Lord Tezman.”
Tezman’s gaze drifted back to the window. As his eyes swept across the garden, they settled on the greenhouse tucked in one corner. Michele had built it years ago to cultivate poppies, but now that Tezman owned the estate, the structure stood all but abandoned. He had never set foot inside it once.
Since Michele had invested a considerable sum, the exterior appeared largely intact. The poppies were long gone. With a little work, it could become something Sua would cherish.
After staring at the greenhouse in silence for a moment, Tezman spoke.
“We should restore the greenhouse.”
He knew she had staked everything she had to become a nun. Though he had forced her to abandon that path in order to stay with him, he had no desire to strip her of her faith entirely.
“How would you like it redesigned?”
“Turn it into a cathedral filled with flowers.”
He wanted to create a cathedral that belonged to her and her alone. A sanctuary made entirely for her.
“Because Sua loves to pray.”
Watching her pray brought him peace. Simply imagining her kneeling in prayer inside the cathedral he had built for her was enough to lift his mood.
Observing Tezman’s expression, Cact’s own lips curved into a smile. Having stood at the man’s side since childhood, he had never witnessed anything like this—Tezman doing something for another person’s sake.
“I will see that it is completed as quickly as possible.”
Tezman gave a satisfied nod.
A sweet aroma drifted through the air. They must have begun baking the pie. The thought of Sua soon bringing him the pastry she had made with such care brought another smile to his lips.
Warmth had begun to fill the once desolate mansion—sweet, gentle warmth. And all three men silently agreed that every bit of that warmth had started with Sua.