* * *
After Seo Woohyun realized his true identity, he had never met anyone who could make his heart flutter.
It was true that he had given up on relationships because life was too busy, but there was also no face that met his standards.
However, things changed after he started seeing Erdian in his dreams.
Sometimes, he even found himself wetting his underwear, imagining a relationship with him.
But from the moment Erdian brought him here and made him a saint, Seo Woohyun forcibly drew a line, telling himself that Erdian couldn’t be his romantic interest.
After all, Erdian was a god who was clearly hiding something from him.
‘No, have I gone mad? I need to pull myself together right now.’
Seo Woohyun wanted to end things before the atmosphere grew even more intense.
The kiss from a moment ago was simply a superficial act, barely making use of the divine power.
If he stubbornly pushed through, maybe he could brush it off.
But stripping down and rolling around was a completely different matter.
“…I think I’m all better now. No, I am all better. There’s no pain, and I’m fine.”
Seo Woohyun gently pushed Erdian off of him, who was still straddling him.
If Erdian had any sense, he’d get the hint and stop.
Fortunately, Erdian, though with a hint of regret, left a few short, lingering kisses before pulling away.
‘Phew.’
Seo Woohyun exhaled a quiet sigh of relief and blinked for just a second.
In that brief moment, Erdian, who had returned to his usual disguised appearance, flashed a sly grin.
It was the same teasing expression he always wore when he made lighthearted remarks or messed with Malrang.
“See? Looks like you’re all better now.”
Even his tone had shifted, sounding as cheerful as if he had never been clinging to Seo Woohyun moments before.
The sudden change was so startling it almost felt like he had dreamt the entire encounter.
“…Yes.”
While Seo Woohyun awkwardly fiddled with his bangs, Erdian regretted his actions.
‘I almost messed things up. No… It feels like I’ve already half-ruined it.’
Unable to contain himself after waiting for so long, he had acted rashly.
When Seo Woohyun first rejected him, he had barely managed to pretend like everything was fine, but how could he have possibly resisted when Seo Woohyun, feverish and flushed, had begged for a kiss?
Despite his awareness of his mistake, Erdian couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride, knowing that he had been Seo Woohyun’s first kiss.
The strange silence between them, as they each entertained different thoughts, was suddenly broken by the innocent voice of a child from outside.
“Hyung, are you resting? I caught two birds! Let’s skewer one and boil the other!”
“M-Malrang must be back.”
Unable to meet Erdian’s eyes, Seo Woohyun muttered while glaring at the innocent carriage wall.
As he awkwardly touched his burning cheeks, an unsettling feeling began to stir.
‘I should have just locked him up in the temple and never let him out.’
That possessive desire over Seo Woohyun started to resurface.
But Erdian quickly composed himself.
Seo Woohyun was someone who only felt alive when he pushed himself to the limit, working relentlessly as if his worth depended solely on his productivity.
If he locked him up in the temple and kept him idle, he’d probably wither away instead of retaining the vibrant energy he had now.
The best relationship was one where he let Seo Woohyun do what he wanted, watching over him and stepping in to help when he was asked.
“Um… Since I’m all better, I’ll go check out the birds Malrang caught. You should rest here, El… El-nim.”
Seo Woohyun, making it all too clear he wanted to escape the situation, left those words as he clumsily stood from the sofa. Instead of stopping him, Erdian voiced a cautious warning.
“Going outside is fine, but are you sure you’re okay to go out right now?”
Erdian’s eyes lowered, and Seo Woohyun followed his gaze to look down at himself.
He panicked when he saw the distinct outline below his slim waist, emphasized by the yellow waist ornament. Flustered, he quickly sat back down.
‘Oh my god, is it still….’
Erdian, amused by Seo Woohyun’s awkward shifting, asked casually.
“Looks like it’s still a bit tricky, huh?”
“…Yes, I think it’s still a bit difficult right now.”
“Alright, I’ll talk to that kid for you.”
Instead of teasing the embarrassed Seo Woohyun further, Erdian walked over to the opposite sofa.
He glanced out the window at Malrang, who was dragging a large bird toward the carriage.
“Your hyung is still resting, so go ahead and start preparing the meal.”
“…Is hyung still sick?”
“He’s almost better. If you don’t come in and chatter, he’ll be out before dinner.”
“Okay!”
Fortunately, Malrang didn’t barge into the carriage to check on Seo Woohyun himself.
He just gestured toward the bird with his head, speaking to Justin, who had been standing behind him.
“Hyung is still resting, so let’s cook this. It looks like he’s still unwell.”
“Shall we keep it quiet while we cook, then?”
“Yeah!”
After his first hunt with Malrang, the knight Justin, who had once deemed the boy ferocious, now matched his pace with surprising gentleness.
Having learned from Erdian that the boy’s hunting skills weren’t that great, he now saw the innocence and cuteness in Malrang’s personality that he hadn’t noticed before.
“Caro hyung, help me with this. This one’s plump, so we’ll get a lot out of it.”
“Wow, you caught two? Amazing. You’re quite the hunter!”
Caro, the priest, showered Malrang with praise, despite the numerous muffled explosions he had overheard during the hunt.
After accepting the bird from Malrang, he glanced at Justin.
“If we start cooking now, they’ll probably come out soon.”
“Yeah, El-nim said hyung will be out by the time we’re done cooking.”
“Oh, that’s a relief.”
Caro was relieved.
He had been worried, knowing the side effects of overusing divine power could only be cured with time.
Thankfully, the god was present with them, and it made sense that Erdian wouldn’t let his treasured saint suffer for long.
‘Of course, El-nim would never leave his saint in pain.’
Caro quickly got to work on the bird. It wasn’t long before the carriage door opened, and Seo Woohyun stepped out alone.
“Be careful coming down.”
“…Yes.”
Erdian didn’t follow him out, leaving only a parting reminder to be cautious.
Malrang, busy watching the meal prep, quickly ran over.
“Hyung! Are you all better? Did El-nim heal you? You’re not sick anymore, right?”
“Uh? Yeah, I’m fine now. No more nosebleeds either.”
Seo Woohyun answered while absentmindedly rubbing his cheek.
The memory of what had happened inside the carriage made him break into a cold sweat.
“What did you decide to do with the thief?”
Trying to change the subject, he brought up whatever came to mind.
Malrang, however, flinched and pretended not to hear, scooting over to help skewer the birds.
It seemed Seo Woohyun had touched on an uncomfortable topic.
“Fortunately, nothing was stolen, so we’ll hand him over to the guards when we reach the nearest estate.”
“Oh, I see.”
Raullet’s explanation put Seo Woohyun at ease.
As the preparation neared completion, Finn skillfully sharpened a sturdy branch and buried it in the ground, setting up a support for the pot.
Once the bright red logs had been transferred to the large pot of boiling broth, Erdian slowly emerged from the carriage.
Seo Woohyun, worried he might accidentally glance at Erdian’s thighs, focused intently on the seasoning for the meat, fiddling with the spice jars.
Despite living alone for over nine years, his cooking skills were mediocre at best.
‘Practice makes perfect. I should cook and do laundry more often as part of my divine power training. But then again, if I drain all my divine power, I might end up… doing that with El-nim again…. I’ll have to think carefully about this.’
The more Seo Woohyun tried to distract himself from the “divine power transmission” incident in the carriage, the more his face burned, and the heat radiated to the top of his head.
He stayed close to the fire, hoping to use it as an excuse for his flushed face.
“So, are you planning on making soup for us today?”
Erdian stepped down from the carriage and approached Seo Woohyun directly, asking,
“…No. I was just stirring the pot; I wasn’t planning on adding anything myself. The others took care of the seasoning and preparation.”
“I see. I’m looking forward to the soup today.”
As Erdian chuckled and patted the top of Seo Woohyun’s head a few times, a loud voice came from behind the carriage.
“Excuse me, Priest! Sir Knight! I may be a thief, but I’m starving! Please, give me something to eat!”
The thief tied up behind the carriage was shouting at the top of his lungs.
The moment Raullet, who hadn’t gagged the thief, trusting his promise to behave, moved to rush over and silence him—
“Aren’t you afraid that Lord Erdian is watching? Show a little mercy, will you?”
The thief had the audacity to throw Erdian’s name around.
Everyone, from Raullet, the ever-composed captain of the temple knights, to those preparing the meal, glanced nervously at Erdian.
Even Seo Woohyun, who had been pretending not to notice as he stirred the soup with the ladle, couldn’t help but react.
“Haha. Mercy, you say.”
Erdian’s eyebrow twitched.
Though he was smiling, the group held their breath.
The thief likely mentioned Erdian’s name thoughtlessly, trying to provoke a response, but the real issue was that Erdian was actually here, in the flesh.
No god would enjoy hearing their name invoked in such a manner.
However, surprisingly, Erdian responded calmly.
“Bring him over and give him something to eat.”
His tone was casual, without a hint of sarcasm.
Instead, he shrugged, glancing at Seo Woohyun.
He wanted to show that the kind and benevolent god, Erdian, wouldn’t dole out divine punishment over something so trivial.
After all, once the thief was handed over to the authorities, it would become a matter for humans to deal with.
There was no need for a god to intervene.
Besides, today, Erdian was in the best mood he had been in for centuries.
After all, he had just shared a kiss with his Saint.
Even though his Saint seemed to believe it was merely an act to transfer divine power.
“He might be executed in the next domain, but at least while he’s with us, we should send him off with a full stomach, right? Wouldn’t that ease your conscience?”
Erdian spoke with a bright smile, but his words carried a chilling undertone.
Malrang, who had been holding a skewer, hastily tossed it aside and clung to Seo Woohyun’s side, clearly terrified—an understandable reaction for a former pickpocket.
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Damm! The poor kid gonna have nightmares through the whole journey hahahaha
Lol don’t scare him
😂