Episode 8. Invitation to the Man I Love’s Engagement Ceremony

‘I must be crazy… I must be out of my mind…’

Leaving Hereis behind, Brienne ran to her room and leaned against the closed door, gasping for breath.

She had run so fast, it felt like she might collapse at any moment. She had never touched a man like that before. Brienne bit her lip as she looked down at the white book she held tightly in her arms.

‘…What a strange person.’

It was far too much contact just to hand over a book. Recalling that moment, the tingling sensation on her hand came back vividly.

The slow gesture that brushed over each knuckle, the faint heat from the man’s body so close to hers. The unfamiliar, subtle scent that tickled her nose…

Her knees, barely holding her up, gave out. Brienne sat down and covered her flushed face with both hands.

No matter how she thought about it, it had been far too close.

She felt completely captivated by those gently curved dark gray eyes. When she saw his face up close, she thought she could finally understand the women Shiloh had mentioned, those who were said to have fallen for Hereis’s face.

‘…Was he always this flippant?’

Unlike Kaiden, who was always serious with women, Hereis seemed to have no reservations at all. Brienne clasped her still-sensitive hand and fell into deep thought.

‘He didn’t have the best attendance during the academy days, did he?’

What on earth was that man doing during those times?

Did he really meet women, like the rumors said? How many?

…Ten? No, a hundred?

Brienne imagined Hereis surrounded by beautiful women. With just one of those dazzling smiles, women would blush and burst into laughter…

‘…No, what am I even doing right now? Over someone I’ve only met twice?’

Snapping out of the foolish thoughts, Brienne slapped both cheeks with a loud smack. Judging people recklessly was foolish. Thinking like this was no different from those who insulted her as they pleased.

‘Why am I doing things I never do…’

Embarrassed, her eyelids quivered. She wanted to find something to shift her focus away from these rude thoughts.

With a sigh, Brienne stood up.

Tap.

But unfortunately, her eyes landed on the white book that had fallen from her lap, something she had momentarily forgotten.

‘…Tales of Roeta Mythology.’

Hereis’s face shimmered over the beautiful cover embroidered with purple lettering. Brienne bent over and froze in place.

She realized that a new memory had now overwritten the book she had chosen while thinking of Kaiden.

After a moment of hesitation, her hand eventually picked up the book. As she debated what to do with it, she figured reading it wouldn’t hurt.

A man’s unreadable face could be buried under the contents of a book, after all.

Brienne flopped onto the bed and opened the book with a determined expression.

[This book was published by compiling the story of Saint Riela, the goddess of Roeta. The author would like to clarify one thing in advance for the readers’ proper understanding.

As the title may already suggest, the word “mythology” inherently contains the meaning of “tales” or “stories.”

Nonetheless, the reason for redundantly adding the word “tales” after “mythology” is because this book deals not with the facts stated in the Roeta Scriptures, but with the orally transmitted folklore.]

Brienne skimmed the text with her eyes and turned to the next page. The introduction didn’t seem all that interesting. Myths from a continent across the sea where the Academy stood were just stories from another country to her.

[Unlike the other gods of Roeta, who were divine from birth, Saint Riela was the only one born from a human womb.

This much can be found even in the Scriptures, so it hardly needs verification. However, the story that follows is a bit different.

Oral tales and holy texts.

Stories passed down through time, yet omitted from the Scriptures.

In other words, this is a tale not entirely beautiful—about Riela before she was granted the title of goddess.]

‘…Riela? That name sounds kind of familiar.’

The more she repeated it, the more it felt like a common name, yet still oddly unsettling. Brienne narrowed her eyes and focused on the content.

[Being the daughter of a half-blood god, Riela was able to travel freely between the mortal world and the heavenly realm. In the heavens, her life was one easily dismissed, like how we might treat the illegitimate child of a noble, but it was different on earth.

Everyone revered her as the daughter of Leosus, the god of love. They believed miracles occurred wherever her footsteps fell, and some even called her the representative of the gods.

Riela loved such humans. She admired their purity, their strong spirits, and their righteous will, and held love in her heart.

Then one day, Riela met a boy named Arthur. The two fell madly in love, believing without doubt that their love would last forever.

But just as love came without warning, it eventually led Riela to ruin in an instant.

On the day of their grand wedding, Arthur suddenly fell for another woman and disappeared across a mysterious sea.]

‘A man who runs away with another woman on his wedding day… what a mess.’

How must Riela have felt?

Brienne clicked her tongue and frowned. Even she felt so hurt hearing about Kaiden’s engagement out of the blue, so Riela must have been devastated.

[Then people who already doubted her divine status began to criticize her. Was she truly the daughter of the god of love, and if so, why couldn’t she win Arthur’s heart?

In the end, Riela fled the temple and ascended to the heavens to plead with her father. Some days she begged for Arthur’s heart to return, other days she cursed him to suffer.

So Leosus took Arthur’s soul for Riela. The runaway lover became a white bird trapped in a pretty cage, decorating Riela’s bedroom.

From that day on, Leosus began sending many men to Riela’s bedroom.

He personally selected handsome men, not just for their looks but even… the size of their parts…]

‘…Huh?’

Brienne instinctively slammed the book shut.

What is this, the story suddenly feels… strange…

Worried she had misread something, Brienne squinted and opened the next page, and her face instantly turned red. A two-page illustration explicitly depicting the male body greeted her.

Flustered, Brienne quickly flipped to the next page. She only wanted to get the embarrassing image out of sight. But the next page, and the one after that, and even the epilogue…

Not a single page was normal.

Smack!

Brienne slapped the book shut and shoved it far away with a horrified expression. Just seeing those explicit illustrations was enough to make her face burn without needing a mirror.

‘…What kind of book is this?’

Only then did she remember—she had read this book right in front of Kaiden, and even in the square’s bookstore. And now, it had been given to her by Hereis Belif of all people.

She was so mortified she could scream.

If she had known what was in it, she wouldn’t have touched the book!

Did that man know what kind of content was in it?

She now resented the beautiful cover with white background and embroidered purple thread. As Brienne fretted over how she would explain herself—

Knock, knock.

Urgent knocking came from the door.

***

Overnight, the rain that had gradually stopped began to pour heavily again. Even the faint sunlight that had lit up the mansion disappeared, and Damon, who had been about to go out to the garden with Brienne but became dejected, instead called Hereis to his room for a game of chess.

“So, did you enjoy your visit to the library?”

“Yes, it truly was just as charming as I’d heard. I can understand why Lady Ford likes it so much.”

Damon’s hand, which had been moving a chess piece, paused briefly. He had wondered why Hereis asked through a servant that morning if he could visit the library, and now it seemed Brienne was the reason.

“Did Brienne say that?”

Even though the political leanings of the Ford and Belif families differed, to the Marquis of Ford, who adored his daughter dearly, there was no better suitor than Hereis. Unable to hide the hope on his face, Damon waited, and Hereis smiled as he answered.

“Yes, she mentioned it yesterday.”

Hearing the answer he had hoped for, Damon’s face lit up with obvious delight. Pretending it was mere pleasantry, he began to earnestly learn more about his prospective son-in-law.

“Ahem, by the way, it seems the Young Duke returned to the Rontiano Empire right after graduation. What are your plans going forward?”

“For now, I plan to learn management at the merchant guild I’ll inherit with the family, but I don’t intend to do it for long. I’ve been pushed to study as an heir since I was young, and frankly, I’ve had enough of it.”

Of course. Unlike the Duke of Bannon, who believed collecting tenant rents was the noble way, the Duke of Belif was a businessman who pursued profit by any means necessary. That kind of disposition had built the immensely wealthy Belif family.

Damon smiled as if he knew nothing.

“Well now, the Duke of Belif must be quite ambitious. To entrust guild management to a renowned mage from the Holy Kingdom of Roeta.”

“He doesn’t find my younger brother very reliable. And now he’s even urging me to get married, so I’m under pressure.”

As they exchanged lighthearted conversation, their hands moved continuously over the chessboard. Damon, who had rarely lost at chess, naturally expected to win.

“As a father myself, I understand his feelings. Especially with someone as perfect as you, I can see why your father is eager to see heirs soon.”

“In that case, I feel even more sorry to my parents. At my age, I still haven’t met anyone, and I wonder if I’ll even get married, let alone have heirs…”

Hereis, who had been smiling faintly, suddenly stopped moving and lowered his gaze. His expression appeared so pure and sorrowful that Damon nearly forgot his aim and offered comfort.

“Well then… It may not be much comfort, but as you know, our Brienne is the same. She only ever looked at Kaiden, and now things have turned out like this… This foolish father always feels sorry to Brienne. It’s probably all my fault for falling out of favor with the Duke of Bannon.”

“…That must be deeply upsetting.”

“There are no words. That’s why, Young Duke, I ask that you get along well with Brienne.”

A gentle request carried a hint of hope in Damon’s eyes. Meeting that gaze, Hereis responded with an angelic smile.

“It would be my pleasure. If Lady Ford permits, I’d gladly do so.”

By now, chess had long disappeared from Damon’s mind. He looked at Hereis with satisfaction and then resumed in a more solemn tone.

“Ah, right. But before that, I have one question. Young Duke…”

“Yes.”

“What do you think is the most precious thing a man can give for the woman he loves?”

“…Is this multiple choice?”

“Unfortunately, it’s short answer.”

As Damon responded, Hereis moved his queen. The paused chessboard resumed its play. After a few more exchanges in the brief silence—

The result was a perfect checkmate by Hereis.

“Marquis Ford, my answer is…”

***