* * *

“So, is this important? You even sent Raullet out….”

Seo Woohyun’s uncertain gaze darted to Erdian.

Ever since the god had declared his intention to pursue him, Erdian’s beauty seemed to grow more dazzling by the day.

His radiant silver hair alone could captivate anyone for hours, and his well-sculpted body adorned with gleaming ornaments made it impossible to focus.

“Important? Hardly. I just wanted to be alone with you.”

Of course. Seo Woohyun sighed and averted his gaze.

If Erdian caught him stealing glances at his chest, who knows what the god might wear—or not wear—next time he descended.

Even now, his clothing barely concealed anything.

“Is seduction your only strategy?”

Seo Woohyun muttered, pouting.

“You’re a god, but all you do is lie….”

“Actually, I interrupted Raullet because he was about to swear loyalty to you.”

The words themselves sounded innocuous, but the idea of interrupting such a pledge seemed excessive.

Seo Woohyun tilted his head slightly, his confusion evident.

Erdian, ever eager to explain, smiled.

“A knight’s oath to their lord is no light matter. They vow to protect their lord with their very life. Lately, it’s even called a ‘sacred pledge.’”

Pledging one’s life?

Knowing Raullet’s earnest nature, Seo Woohyun could easily imagine his dedicating himself entirely.

The sheer weight of such an oath was overwhelming.

“That’s… a lot.”

Erdian tilted his head toward Seo Woohyun, his golden eyes shining with amusement.

“I thought our timid Seo Woohyun might feel burdened by such a pledge, so I stepped in.”

“I see… but still, appearing out of nowhere like that.”

“If the oath were formalized, she’d have to kiss your hand or hem. And frankly, I can’t stand the thought. Do you know how furious I was when that little prince dared kiss your sleeve?”

Grumbling about something so long ago, Erdian’s pettiness was glaringly un-godlike.

“You’re still mad about that? It’s been ages since we left on that journey.”

“The more I think about it, the angrier I get! Can you blame me?”

“For a god, you’re awfully small-minded.”

Seo Woohyun giggled, amused, and threw a pointed glance at Erdian.

For someone addressing a deity, his tone bTempleed on irreverent, but Erdian’s smile only widened.

“Unbelievable. Falling for you is only a matter of time, huh? Is having a gorgeous face and body really enough to get away with this?”

Seo Woohyun’s heart already leaned toward Erdian, though he planned to confess in due time.

However, he didn’t want their relationship to be entirely one-sided.

A god’s obsession could easily spiral out of control, as he had experienced firsthand.

“I’m not fond of obsessive types.”

He murmured, his voice casual yet carrying a hint of sincerity.

Erdian’s reaction was immediate; he straightened abruptly, his golden eyes fixed on Seo Woohyun.

“What? Why not?”

“Why do you think?”

“I don’t know. Tell me.”

The genuine curiosity in Erdian’s gaze was almost comical.

“I get the feeling that if we dated, you’d lock me away.”

Considering how even fleeting touches or glances seemed to spark Erdian’s jealousy, it wasn’t far-fetched.

Seo Woohyun could easily imagine the god fuming over a prolonged conversation with someone else.

“I wouldn’t. I told you, you can do whatever you want. I’d let you have it all.”

“Except a knight kissing my hand or sleeve, apparently. At this rate, you might as well tell me not to leave the temple.”

“That’s…”

Erdian parted his lips slightly before tightly closing his eyes.

In truth, the only kind of greeting he could tolerate was one delivered from a distance, with the person bowing low to the ground.

However, Seo Woohyun shuddered every time someone greeted him like that.

So, when Woohyun claimed this essentially left him with no option but to stay put, it wasn’t entirely unreasonable.

‘But… no, I wouldn’t force Woohyun into something he despises.’

Erdian murmured reluctantly, unable to completely conceal his dissatisfaction.

“If that’s what you want, I’ll tell Sihero to withdraw the decree immediately. I mean it.”

Whoa, no need to go that far.

Seo Woohyun didn’t want to inconvenience Sihero.

He was well aware of how diligently the man worked, mediating between him and Erdian.

“That’s not necessary. Besides, I don’t think I’ll ever get used to people kissing the back of my hand as a greeting.”

“Really?”

“And, for now, I’m not too keen on venturing outside the Holy City.”

Coincidentally, every time he traveled, he somehow got caught up in troublesome incidents.

It had only happened twice, but considering the probability of disaster was 100%, it wasn’t an unwarranted concern.

“It’s starting to feel like a divine message telling me not to travel at all…”

Woohyun scratched his cheek, muttering, and Erdian flinched as he hurried to clarify.

“I’ve never sent you such a message! Don’t misunderstand!”

“Oh, I didn’t mean you specifically, Erdian.”

As Woohyun chuckled, explaining that it was a common expression in Korea, he was reminded again—despite Erdian’s all-too-human reactions—that he was a god.

‘How did I end up in this pseudo-relationship with a deity?’

The surreal nature of his current life still felt hard to process.

Yet, he knew the answer was already decided.

Erdian’s lingering attachment to his lover from Woohyun’s past life was disconcerting, but it wasn’t something Woohyun wanted to harp on further, especially since Erdian had openly acknowledged and apologized for it.

Woohyun had firmly drawn the line, making it clear he and Ciel were separate individuals, and Erdian had admitted the differences as well.

‘I’m really bad at playing hard to get, aren’t I?’

With Erdian openly declaring his intentions to woo him, Woohyun was putting on a feeble act of resistance.

Giving in too quickly would make him seem easy, and he didn’t like that idea either.

He knew he’d have to give Erdian an answer soon, but timing it felt impossibly tricky.

‘And if it’s not just my imagination, if I make him wait much longer, Erdian might actually show up completely naked one of these days…’

Every time Erdian descended, the amount of skin he revealed seemed to increase.

While Woohyun didn’t mind admiring Erdian’s perfect physique—it was one of the few joys in his chaotic life—he still hoped the god would maintain some dignity befitting his status.

“Woohyun.”

“Yes?”

“That rascal Malrang has been praying nonstop to play with you again…”

“Oh, Malrang.”

Raullet had offered to look after Malrang for a while, but in the midst of all their conversations, quite a bit of time had passed.

“About those prayers…”

“Prayers?”

Woohyun recalled the expression Erdian had worn during the prayer meeting in the Duchy of Soznian.

He had been concerned about Erdian, who had to listen to all the prayers alone.

“Do you hear every single prayer your followers send you?”

Erdian hesitated for a moment before giving a slightly awkward smile.

“Well, I do hear them. It’s not like I can block out what I don’t want to hear.”

Woohyun’s jaw slowly dropped.

Clergy members had designated times for offering prayers to Erdian, but regular followers prayed whenever they attended prayer meetings or felt the need at home.

“Ever since you became a god?”

“Yes.”

“And when you hear my prayers, you respond immediately?”

“That’s right.”

Erdian’s serene expression remained unchanged, but it only made Woohyun feel more unsettled.

* * *