* * *
Eridian confessed to Seo Woohyun.
His words about the divine favor he supposedly held as a Saint had been nothing more than a convenient excuse.
“I’m not so depraved as to pursue someone I have no feelings for.”
He knew it was shameful, but when Seo Woohyun directly asked if he liked him, how could he deny it?
He openly admitted his romantic feelings, including the desire for a physical relationship.
In truth, Eridian’s initial plan had been very different.
He had wanted to help Seo Woohyun slowly adjust to this place and carefully build their relationship.
Then, once the time seemed right, he had imagined confessing his feelings in some picturesque spot.
But all of those plans had fallen apart.
Partly due to his own lack of patience, but mostly because that annoyingly handsome young man had started hanging around and driving him crazy with jealousy.
“I am Habios, the sixth prince of the Erhart Empire.”
Of all things, it had to be a prince, not even a noble.
Eridian was nervous.
Habios had an exceptional bloodline for a human, and worse, Seo Woohyun had a weakness for good looks. It troubled Eridian deeply.
Seo Woohyun, who would blush like a tomato just from seeing Eridian’s face in dreams, was a concern.
If Seo Woohyun fell for some random human, Eridian would be in serious trouble.
Even though in his dreams, Eridian hadn’t spoken much, merely showing his face had made Seo Woohyun curious about his name and blush.
There was still hope.
Though Seo Woohyun was clearly overwhelmed by the fact that Eridian was a god, which made things more difficult.
Despite Eridian’s confession in the carriage, which caused minor damage to his divine status, Seo Woohyun didn’t accept his feelings easily.
“Please give me some time to think.”
It wasn’t an outright rejection, so Eridian wasn’t too devastated.
He nodded, and from that moment, Seo Woohyun felt a storm brewing inside his heart.
Eridian, who had never been so open about his emotions, not only confessed but also showed Seo Woohyun things he couldn’t explain before.
Seo Woohyun saw Eridian’s truth, and it made him think deeply about the complications.
Could he truly have a relationship with someone like Eridian, who had such complex secrets?
He was sure of one thing: he did have feelings for Eridian.
Even after learning that Eridian had existed for over a thousand years, his feelings hadn’t changed.
He had always treated Eridian like an unattainable dream, but deep down, he had always wanted a romantic relationship.
Now that Eridian had revealed his heart, however, Seo Woohyun was faced with the reality.
In a world where priests wept tears of joy just from hearing Eridian’s voice, how could they have a normal relationship?
“I can wait for as long as you need. Waiting is one of my strengths.”
Sensing Seo Woohyun’s hesitation, Eridian took a step back.
“I won’t rush you. Take your time. Even if you turn me down, I’m not like the gods of your world who would punish you out of anger. I might be sad and hole up for a few days… but that’s all.”
“You say you’re not pressuring me, but…”
“It’s just a figure of speech.”
What kind of god talks like this? Seo Woohyun grumbled internally, avoiding Eridian’s gaze.
“I’ll wait until you’re ready. Whether it takes a year or ten years…”
“Of course, I’ll let you know much sooner than that.”
Hearing that the wait wouldn’t be so long, Eridian finally smiled a radiant smile, so bright that Seo Woohyun was left staring, stunned.
The problem was, that smile didn’t last a day.
Habios de Erhart, the sixth prince of the empire, who had barely survived an assassination attempt, wasn’t much different from other royals his age.
He was skilled at controlling his expressions, quick-witted, and managed to maintain a graceful demeanor.
But his discreet glances at Seo Woohyun didn’t escape Eridian’s notice.
What started as curiosity to gauge Seo Woohyun’s identity had slowly turned into something else.
“His taste is too high for his own good…”
Even though Habios was almost certain of Seo Woohyun’s true identity, his feelings were clear.
The prayer about wanting to know whether Seo Woohyun liked younger men had reached Eridian, and he had to work hard to suppress his rising irritation.
Though he wasn’t happy about Habios staying around, Eridian couldn’t go back on his word now.
It was crucial not to act petty and small-minded, especially when trying to win Seo Woohyun over.
“Ciel.”
“Ah, yes?”
“Is there anything I can help you with?”
Habios didn’t just steal glances.
He took every chance to talk to Seo Woohyun, showing no concern for his subordinates.
Those born of noble blood often treated their underlings as expendable.
“His personality is rotten. Though I’m no better,” Eridian thought with a click of his tongue, stealing a glance at Seo Woohyun.
Normally, Eridian would have stayed glued to Seo Woohyun’s side, but for now, he needed to wait.
Too much pressure would only push Seo Woohyun further away.
Sitting on a tree stump with a troubled expression, Eridian absentmindedly tousled the hair of a small child who had pressed against his side.
The fine, sky-blue strands slipped through his fingers with a satisfying softness, the subtle scent of soap calming him slightly.
“My hair feels nice, right?”
The child snuggled up beside Eridian, chattering cheerfully.
“Since you constantly nag about washing your hair, it better be soft.”
“That means you like it, right?”
“Yes.”
Erdian, who responded half-heartedly, stared at the flame flickering at the tips of Seo Woohyun’s fingers.
He briefly considered using the excuse of depleted divine power to steal another kiss, but then quickly dismissed the idea.
He had already tried that trick before, and Seo Woohyun would likely reject him.
‘I’m acting out of character, getting all anxious like this….’
The more anxious Erdian grew, the faster his hand moved through Malrang’s hair.
“Do you cook well, Ciel?”
“…No, I’m just the one who tastes the food.”
“I thought as much. The seasoning was perfect for my taste. You have a good sense of taste.”
Every time Habios agreed with Seo Woohyun, Erdian’s expression darkened.
‘What a load of nonsense… Maybe I should’ve just kicked him out. But no, soft-hearted Woohyun would worry about what happened to him. I’ll just endure for a few more days and send him on his way.’
Habios de Erhart was Erdian’s follower, though not a particularly devout one.
Had he been a more pious believer, diligently praying and working every morning and evening, Erdian might’ve shown him more grace.
But the prince was just one of those who learned about the existence of the gods through common phrases ingrained in daily language.
Erdian found it easy to feel jealous of humans.
It was petty and unbecoming, but analyzing such feelings was hardly a manly thing to do when it came to love.
‘Anyway, Woohyun prefers my body over that weakling.’
Erdian ran his hands over his priestly robes.
The body he used for his descent was the one he had as a human.
While he could appear younger, to impress Seo Woohyun, he had to choose the version of himself from his prime—when his muscles were perfectly sculpted, and his beauty was at its peak.
Anything less, and Woohyun wouldn’t even look his way.
“Priest El, I’m going hunting today. Do you want to see my hunting skills? I’m really good now. I hit one out of eight shots.”
The young hatchling chattered on, drawing Seo Woohyun’s gaze away from Erdian and toward him.
Erdian thought he could win points by being kind to the child, so he smiled warmly and nodded for all to see.
“Alright. Should the three of us go with Justin?”
“Yes! Let’s go together!”
As usual, Justin’s opinion was completely ignored in this impromptu hunting plan.
Nearby, Justin, who was on guard duty, calmly prepared to leave for the forest with Erdian and Malrang, looking indifferent to it all.
Erdian, with Malrang clinging to his leg, confidently approached Seo Woohyun, who was sitting by the campfire.
“I’m heading out to hunt with Flan. We won’t be able to have fresh bird meat once we leave here.”
Seo Woohyun’s eyes widened at Erdian’s low voice announcing his departure.
It was the first time Malrang had joined the group, and it was even more surprising that Erdian seemed friendly enough to take him along.
Though Erdian had teased the child before, he’d never taken him anywhere.
“Be careful out there.”
Seo Woohyun smiled brightly, waving gently as he said goodbye.
With Malrang clinging to one leg, Erdian discreetly glanced at Habios.
As expected, his expression was sour.
‘Hah, Woohyun and I are the kind of people who exchange these kinds of goodbyes.’
Erdian’s lips twitched, curving upwards. Habios, seeing what was clearly a mocking smile directed at him, clenched his lips shut.
‘What’s up with that priest…?’
And so, a strange tension began to simmer between them.
* * *
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I really hope he distance himself from the prince soon, royalty will only use him!
Thank you
☺️☺️☺️
bro a god is competing with a human 💀