* * *
Erdian despised noisy things, especially when the gods dumped their troublesome issues on him, as if he were responsible for solving all their problems.
[Erdian, my kid’s acting weird. Hasn’t come out of his room for days… Are you listening?]
[El, stop fooling around with your kid and come check this out.]
[Erdian, you didn’t break a divine law and mess up your divinity, did you? Who’s supposed to do the work now?]
After being away for a few days, even the so-called gods were whining like children.
Erdian was getting a headache. This had been going on for far too long.
There weren’t enough gods, most had been forgotten, and they constantly passed their duties to him under the most ridiculous excuses.
Tired of the endless waiting, Erdian had often taken on these tedious tasks, thinking it was better to do something rather than let time pass by meaninglessly.
“But they should’ve at least picked a better time for this nonsense.”
After taking care of the tasks that only he could handle, Erdian scolded the gods who complained about his late arrival.
[If you had any sense of decency, you wouldn’t have come looking for me. You know my situation all too well, yet you pile on this nonsense. If anyone contacts me during my break again, you’d better be prepared for a holy war. Do you understand?]
The gods, sensing his irritation, fell silent.
Who was Erdian?
Once a human, he had achieved enough feats to be revered as a god and eventually ascended to divinity.
In fact, he had long been worshiped as the god of war.
Starting a religious war against his church?
No one stood a chance.
Though inwardly calling him a tyrant, they sent him off with words of fake warmth, wishing him a good rest as he descended to the human realm.
Declaring that no one should disturb him, Erdian had returned to enjoy his time with Seo Woohyun, only to find an unwelcome guest among the group.
A young man with shiny silver hair, as radiant as his own true form.
“Of all people…”
Seo Woohyun had a keen aesthetic sense.
The way his cheeks would flush whenever their eyes met, and the way he’d glance shyly at Erdian out of the corner of his eye, was utterly adorable.
For that reason, Erdian made sure his hair was never too dry, wore clothes that flaunted his well-toned body, and adorned himself with jewelry that highlighted his dark skin.
After all, divine power was an invisible asset.
However, he couldn’t go overboard by covering himself entirely in jewels.
He had to maintain a delicate balance, as Seo Woohyun disliked anything too flashy.
“El….”
Feeling the familiar hand on his shoulder, Seo Woohyun murmured the name, the brief title that brought back memories of an ancient past.
Erdian gently bent down to meet Seo Woohyun’s gaze.
The face, which had just begun to fill out, now quivered with confusion and surprise.
He must have been startled to see Erdian return so soon.
‘How can someone be this adorable? I could just take him away and—’
Even though Erdian had become accustomed to waiting, now that Seo Woohyun was within arm’s reach, his patience was quickly wearing thin.
Just the day before, Seo Woohyun had asked him for a kiss.
Sure, he had been half delirious from the pain, but it didn’t change the fact that Seo Woohyun had begged for it.
“Who’s that guy? He looks suspicious, all covered in blood.”
Erdian whispered into Seo Woohyun’s ear, feigning ignorance while discreetly checking if Seo Woohyun had been captivated by the young man’s appearance.
After all, Seo Woohyun had fallen for him in a dream-like meeting where they couldn’t even communicate.
‘Of all people, he just had to look like Seo Woohyun’s type.’
Disguised as a priest with his appearance altered, Erdian was now forced to wear modest clothes that didn’t reveal his chest, and he had short brown hair instead of the long hair Seo Woohyun usually admired.
This only heightened his unease.
He was tempted to revert to his original form immediately when Seo Woohyun hesitantly replied.
“He’s a prince from the empire.”
“Oh?”
Erdian glanced at the man whose clothes were soaked in blood.
Even faintly, he could sense the blood of someone who had once been a close friend, confirming the truth.
He didn’t feel the need to ask why the man was injured. It was obvious—he had likely been caught up in a messy royal succession dispute and attacked by a sibling or even a parent.
Seeing the man’s silver hair glisten in the firelight made his stomach twist.
The handsome face evoked a mixture of alarm and irritation, reminding Erdian of his younger self.
As if feeling the gaze, Habios glanced back at Erdian.
‘When did he appear without a sound?’
Habios hadn’t missed the man’s muscular build and smooth, tan skin, yet somehow, he hadn’t noticed his presence until now.
The disapproving look from Erdian was unmistakable.
“…I am Habios, the sixth prince of the Erhartan Empire. I was caught in a commotion and your knight saved me. I owe him my life. I also have a past connection with Giselle from my childhood….”
“I see.”
Erdian responded curtly, his tone colder than usual.
Normally, his polite manner made even strangers feel at ease, but this time, the chill was noticeable.
‘Does he still harbor resentment towards the royal family?’
Seo Woohyun glanced at Erdian with slight concern, his gaze softening as their eyes met.
The tension that had subtly lingered melted away, knowing that the god who had saved him stood by his side.
What could he fear with such a being beside him?
“Have you eaten?”
“I have. Oh, right. I saved a roasted sweet potato for you, El.”
“You saved it for me? How thoughtful.”
Erdian beamed and patted Seo Woohyun’s head.
As the priest’s focus shifted away from him, Habios discreetly glanced at Giselle.
Judging by their attire, Giselle seemed to be the leader of this group, while the knight who saved him was also dressed in the robes of a cleric.
Habios knew he had no choice but to rely on their help to navigate this dangerous forest alone, given the skilled assassins after him.
“Giselle, I ask for temporary company on my journey. I promise to compensate your temple generously once I reunite with my men.”
The prince made a shameless request, knowing it was reckless to travel alone after surviving such a high-level assassination attempt.
Had it not been for the knight’s intervention, he would already be dead.
“Company….”
Giselle cast a hesitant glance toward Erdian and Seo Woohyun.
He knew Erdian would hardly welcome an injured prince who had just survived an assassination attempt.
Sensing this hesitation, Habios’ face darkened.
‘Of course. Giselle hasn’t been part of the Duke’s household in over a decade. He’s no longer the tutor I once knew, and the temple has always kept a cool distance from the royal family. I’ve put him in an awkward position. Maybe this is as far as I can expect Erdian’s mercy to extend.’
As Habios absentmindedly touched his healed wounds, ready to reassure them that he was fine, a sudden voice interrupted him.
“Hm. How old is that prince?”
The unexpected question came from the priest who had suddenly appeared.
His ambiguous tone wasn’t particularly respectful, yet Habios chose to remain calm.
If the senior priest, Giselle, had deemed the behavior inappropriate, he would have intervened, but he hadn’t.
After all, Erdian’s temple didn’t serve the royal family, something Habios was well aware of, yet hard for him to accept.
‘These priests carry themselves with remarkable confidence. The first emperor himself once served under Erdian’s high priest. Aren’t we supposed to serve the same god?’
Though slightly frustrated, Habios was used to hiding his feelings after a lifetime in the royal family.
He responded politely, considering the priest had been part of the group that saved his life.
“I’m eighteen this year.”
Upon hearing that, Erdian rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
“Eighteen, huh… Right at the prime.”
He mumbled something unclear, and Seo Woohyun couldn’t help but roll his eyes.
‘Prime for what, exactly? Surely, he’s not suggesting it’s the prime age for assassination attempts…’
Anxiety began to creep in.
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Thanks.
Thanks
For marrage ofc
Marriage*