A Civilized Meal and Stolen Kisses
While the holy knight was away, after putting Viola to sleep and finishing the stew, I woke the soundly sleeping girl and finished preparing the meal together with her.
In the meantime, Benedict must have been playing with the children, because he looked utterly drained.
"It seems you've been looking after the children. Thank you."
"Not at all. It's just one of the things we must do..."
"You look pretty worn out for something like that, though."
"Hahaha... The children were very energetic..."
Benedict nodded and took his seat. I ladled out some of the stew that Viola and I had brought and handed it to him.
"It's not much, but please eat."
"Not much? This is splendid. Compared to jerky, that is."
Of course. This stew was on a whole different level from jerky.
Benedict began eating with refined, restrained movements, and I matched the atmosphere with my own elegant motions.
Viola, who had been glancing around nervously, also started eating while minding her table manners—unlike before.
I felt a little bad for Viola, who struggled with etiquette, but there was no helping it. With two out of three people eating properly, telling the third to "eat comfortably" would just make you look like the rude one.
It'd be like forcing someone to be oblivious.
Meanwhile, after taking a spoonful of stew, Benedict looked up at me in surprise.
"...This is delicious. I've never tasted stew this good even in the Holy Nation."
"You're too kind."
"No, I mean it. Truly...!"
Benedict seemed genuinely delighted as he took another spoonful.
Watching this noble, refined holy knight savor the stew with such controlled grace in this bizarre situation stirred an unexpected feeling in me...
...Surprisingly, it was satisfaction.
It's always gratifying when someone enjoys food you've made. Even if that someone could potentially kill you.
As he ate, Benedict kept asking me and Viola questions.
It might not perfectly align with table manners, but he was a busy holy knight. Given the etiquette radiating from his every gesture, he was actually going against his own habits.
"Are all the children from this village?"
"Yes, all of them are this village's future."
"The children seem so bright and clever. Does the village have a teacher?"
"I handle the teaching duties myself."
"So Father Kasian handles both priestly duties and teaching?"
"Yes. People are the most important, after all."
Priests serve God and bridge the gap between people and the divine.
But I'm no priest to begin with—I'm a demon who opposes God.
That's why, instead of connecting people to God, I look after the children and help the villagers.
Less "opposing God," more "finding ways to help this village without involving Him," I suppose?
It's what I have to do while hiding here—and what I must do for my own sake.
"You're quite unusual, Father Kasian."
"I think I'm pretty ordinary."
"No, you are unusual. 'Special' might be the better word."
As if echoing my words, Viola—eating her stew and bread with refined movements beside me—began praising me too.
"That's right. He's extremely special."
"Sister Viola...?"
He'd almost called her "Viola" like usual but caught himself.
As if sensing my intent, Viola started calling me "Brother Kasian" instead of "Father" or "Kasian."
"Brother Kasian is very special. He has no sense of priestly privilege, unlike the fathers in the Holy Nation—he moves so well, and he helps the villagers a lot with it."
"He's a very warm man, Brother Kasian is."
"...If you two were trying to embarrass me to death, it worked perfectly. I'm mortified."
"Haha, no need to be shy. Both Sister Viola and I are just praising you."
Even so, this was too much gilding the lily. I was dying of embarrassment.
And from this conversation, one thing was clear...
At least for now, Benedict held no hostility toward me. If anything, it was goodwill.
Which made sense. He'd given us a room in the church—no small thing—and even shared his cabin space, plus we'd brought him food. It'd be weirder if he didn't feel some goodwill.
And for some reason, he held me in very high regard. Which was more than welcome on my end.
Especially from a holy knight who could kill me—a man who would one day lead the Holy Knights.
Before long, Benedict finished his stew and started to rise.
I watched him and asked softly,
"Brother Benedict, are you getting up?"
"Yes, my belly's full now. Time to get back to work."
I held him back just a bit longer.
"Have another bowl. You must still be hungry."
"...Then I'll have a little more."
Benedict ducked his head shyly and sat back down. I took his bowl to the kitchen,
scooped another ladle of stew, and brought it back to him.
He started eating it with relish again, and I turned to Viola, who was gazing at me from the side.
This look in her eyes...
"Would Sister care for another bowl too?"
-nod nod-
It was the gaze of a hungry woman.
I got up again and fetched her some stew.
On the way back, I overheard Benedict and Viola talking. They probably had no idea my hearing was far sharper than a normal person's.
"Father Kasian is a splendid man."
"Yes, he is. Truly splendid."
...It was all praise behind my back. Maybe I should've pretended not to hear. It just made me more embarrassed.
*
After the meal, Benedict rose immediately.
There was only one reason: his mission here. The reason a man with the makings of Holy Knight Commander had been dispatched to this remote corner—to investigate the abnormal mana levels and hunt the monster.
Harsh as it sounds, Benedict was likely in for wasted effort. The source of that mana was me.
He couldn't sense my mana now because I was desperately suppressing it. Ever since that first night with Viola, I hadn't let it slip even once.
Thinking that single slip had brought him here... the Holy Nation's tech wasn't to be underestimated.
Anyway, leaving Benedict behind...
"Viola."
"Yes, Father."
I called to Viola, who was cleaning up the kitchen. She scampered over, and...
-smack! -smooch
"Mmgh...!?"
I went for a kiss.
-slurp... smack... slurrrp... slurp...
My tongue explored her mouth freely, and though Viola trembled, she didn't pull away.
As her breath-holding limit approached, I broke the kiss and looked at her.
"Phah... haah... haah... haah..."
Viola stared back with her tongue out and glazed eyes.
"Must've been tough with Brother Benedict here."
"Wh-what...?"
"Holding back so much."
I lightly placed a finger on her pussy, and Viola shuddered.
"Hnnngh...!"
"Viola's pussy is all nice and wet. Whatever could have caused that?"
In a voice mixed with shame and pleasure, she answered my question.
"It's... um, you know..."
"You know...?"
-scraaape
I lightly dragged my finger up her pussy over her habit, and she quivered violently as she confessed her deepest embarrassment.
"Kissing... with Father... feels so good... I got wet... without realizing..."
...She got wet just from kissing me?
Her body had become that lewd?
It defied common sense, but I decided to just enjoy the moment.
-smooch
"Mmmph...!"
I embraced her body and kissed her again, making her twitch.
Holding her tight, I slowly, slowly headed to the basement storeroom.
A place no one would know about. A place for just the two of us.