* * *
Now, every morning when he opened his eyes, there lay a god of breathtaking beauty beside him, as if it were the most natural thing.
Seo Woohyun blinked slowly, reaching out to gently stroke his face.
Golden eyes, impossibly clear and alert, were framed by lids drawing graceful arcs.
Erdian’s expression, basking in the touch, was one of utter contentment.
“Woohyun, are you aware that your first act every morning is to touch my face?”
At the playful question, Woohyun paused briefly.
“Do I?”
Reflecting for a moment, he realized that, indeed, he always reached out to touch Erdian’s face before yawning or stretching.
It was a face so mesmerizing that he might have been using his drowsiness as an excuse to indulge in it.
“Sometimes, I worry. What if someone whose face you like even more comes along? Will you leave me?”
“What are you talking about? Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Really?”
“Of course. Why are you doubting me first thing in the morning?”
As Woohyun withdrew his hand with a frown, Erdian immediately grabbed it and brought it back to his face, pressing it against his cheek as if asking for more.
His gaze lowered.
“Sorry. I wasn’t doubting you. It’s just… you like my face so much, it’s hard to believe.”
“I’ve told you before, even before we were together, how much I liked your face.”
“Well, we’ve been through so much since then—things no good looks alone could resolve.”
Erdian alluded to his past actions, concealing his identity as Ciel and showing unilateral kindness.
He no longer mentioned Ciel’s name or their shared history.
Woohyun, after all, still considered himself and Ciel as separate beings.
The memories of being Ciel, a servant and lover to Prince Erdian of Eustis, were weaker compared to his current identity as Seo Woohyun, who had lived a lonely life of hard work and independence.
Perhaps because of this, Erdian often felt uneasy, fearing that Woohyun might one day long for his old life.
“Woohyun.”
“Yes?”
“Do you ever miss the place where you used to live? Do you ever think about going back?”
Erdian wasn’t sure what expression he wore as he asked, only that he desperately hoped for a negative answer.
“Honestly, I used to. But not so much anymore.”
Contrary to Erdian’s expectations of evasion or ambiguity, Woohyun’s answer was immediate and straightforward, leaving no room for doubt.
“Compared to when I first came here, I don’t feel as homesick. Sometimes I miss things like kimchi or coffee, but that’s about it.”
Relieved by the honest answer, Erdian nuzzled his cheek against Woohyun’s hand with a smile.
“That’s good to hear.”
“But… are you not going to give me any more quests? Back then, you’d even use rewards to tell me about drinks that tasted like coffee.”
“Quests were to help you adjust. Do you still need them? From what I see, you’ve adapted wonderfully.”
“But I haven’t collected all the stamps yet. I’ve got nine, and just one more will let me make a wish to you. It feels like such a waste to stop now.”
Erdian recalled the “Erdian’s Compliment Stamps,” a makeshift system he had devised to help Woohyun settle in.
Stamps were given for even the simplest tasks, like eating or shopping, all to make Woohyun feel more at home.
The promise of granting a wish upon collecting ten stamps had been part of that system.
Erdian’s lips curved into a mischievous smile.
“If that’s what you want… What kind of quest would you like?”
“Anything’s fine, as long as it’s not too hard.”
“Alright.”
After a moment’s thought, Erdian smirked and brought up the final quest window.
[Main Quest: ‘Kiss’ has arrived.]
[Kiss me. Right now.]
[Reward: Erdian’s Compliment Stamp ×1]
Seeing the quest appear, Woohyun let out a chuckle.
‘I’d do this even without a quest. But hey, it’s a win for me.’
Without hesitation, he pressed a light kiss to Erdian’s lips.
Erdian’s laughter spilled out as he wrapped an arm around Woohyun’s waist.
With that, the tenth and final stamp was complete.
“Now that you’ve collected all the stamps, can I ask what wish you plan to make?”
“Can I tell you now?”
“Of course.”
Erdian met Woohyun’s gaze, waiting patiently for his answer.
“Let’s keep being happy together, just like this.”
“What?”
“Let’s eat meals together, sleep together, and… even when Malrang comes of age, let’s still be happy together.”
Malrang, now only ten, wouldn’t come of age for another ten years.
To wish for happiness together until then—and beyond.
“Is that really all you want?”
“Yes. There’s something I’ve been curious about in my status window for a while now.”
“What is it?”
“I can’t read part of the title. Is that a bug?”
Seo Woohyun glanced at his plain and unimpressive status window.
✦Name: Seo Woohyun
✦Title: Saint of the Erdian Church, ☒☒☒☒ ☒☒ ☒☒
✧Quest Shortcut
✧Praise Board Shortcut
In the almost barren status window, the only thing that caught his attention was the obscured text.
“It’s not a bug. Do you want me to show you what it says? The timing is perfect.”
When Seo Woohyun nodded, the unreadable part of the title became clear.
✦Name: Seo Woohyun
✦Title: Saint of the Erdian Church, Companion of the God Erdian
✧Quest Shortcut
✧Praise Board Shortcut
“Companion? Does that word mean what I think it does?”
“If you’re thinking of someone who has vowed to spend their life together with you, then yes. After all, we’ve already opened our hearts to each other. And just now, you said yourself that you wanted us to continue living happily like this until Malrang becomes an adult.”
Erdian whispered, gently caressing Seo Woohyun’s cheek.
“Well, that’s true, but… Did you really hide those words in the status window all this time? What if I hadn’t ended up in a relationship with you?”
“Then they would have remained hidden forever. I’d have just hoped you’d be curious enough about the obscured text to talk to me a bit more, even if it was just once, while secretly sulking on my own.”
Before Seo Woohyun could respond, Erdian’s lips pressed warmly against his.
“If you need another ‘seal of approval,’ just let me know. I’m willing to grant as many wishes as you’d like.”
“Do I have to collect them first?”
“My dear Seo Woohyun, I didn’t take you for someone shameless enough to ask for favors without offering anything in return.”
“Can’t you just grant a small wish between lovers?”
“Haha, always scheming, aren’t you?”
Erdian’s pleasant laughter rang in Seo Woohyun’s ears.
Smiling softly, Seo Woohyun wrapped his arms around Erdian’s neck, silently wishing for this happiness to last forever.
As Seo Woohyun began to feel restless in the tranquil life at the Great Temple, a letter arrived from the Imperial Palace.
The sender was Prince Habios, who had been crowned Crown Prince and was preparing for his coronation.
Scratching his cheek, Seo Woohyun glanced at the letter’s contents.
“Do you think the Crown Prince’s coronation will disrupt our travel plans?”
“So that brat finally became the Crown Prince, huh? What did he write?”
Instead of answering, Seo Woohyun handed Erdian the letter.
After reading the part about the Crown Prince’s desire to visit the Great Temple officially, Erdian clicked his tongue.
“A coronation isn’t something you can prepare for in just a day or two. It won’t interfere with our plans at all.”
“Really?”
“Absolutely. A national event like this takes a lot of preparation. By the time he’s crowned, we’ll probably be back from our trip.”
“Then that’s a relief.”
Seo Woohyun set the letter down and glanced at a map.
Growing bored of the peaceful days at the temple, he had been planning a journey with Erdian.
There were so many places he wanted to visit that even narrowing down the list was taking a long time.
Erdian, noticing Seo Woohyun’s left hand idly flipping through his notes, gave a mysterious smile.
He had been working tirelessly with a jeweler to create a ring that would suit Seo Woohyun’s finger perfectly.
The jeweler had already been instructed to pray to him the moment the ring was completed.
‘Gracious Erdian, who watches over this land, I, humble craftsman Jeremy, offer this ring crafted with all my heart as per your divine revelation….’
As the craftsman’s prayer echoed in his ears, Erdian kissed Seo Woohyun’s cheek and stood up.
“There’s somewhere I need to go for a bit. Keep thinking about our travel plans—I’ll be back soon.”
“Before lunch?”
“Of course. See you soon.”
With a radiant smile, Erdian disappeared without a trace.
Seo Woohyun blinked at the surreal sight before resting his chin on the desk.
‘Where should we go that’s safe and free of accidents? This time, Cecily and Tartalos are joining us, and they’re fine with anywhere. Malrang wants to see the ocean, so maybe the beach is the best choice.’
As Seo Woohyun pondered, a faint smile spread across his face.
* * *
