Holding Back

His breath brushed hot and low against her ear.

Whether because of the Moon Dew or not, there was a dangerous heat mixed into it.

At his words, Shana’s eyes widened.

As if he didn’t care about the presence outside the tent at all, a faint smile curved Lucian’s lips.

Lucian pressed his thumb firmly into the soft inner side of Shana’s thigh.

Her already pale skin blanched further around the spot, turning almost translucent.

He lifted both of Shana’s wrists and placed them onto his shoulders, then firmly gripped her hips on either side.

Through the thin fabric, the contact brushed against sensitive places, and Shana felt her face grow hotter by the second.

Slowly, with their hips overlapping, he began to move.

“Like this… is it fine?”

‘What did he just say?’

For a split second, she thought he meant something else.

But thinking again, he was asking whether this was how they should keep up the act.

It had been Shana’s idea to begin the performance in the first place, so stopping him now felt strange.

And yet, she sensed something off—

as if Lucian were faintly irritated.

That couldn’t be right.

Then, through the fabric, their centers brushed lightly against each other.

Shana flinched, her body trembling.

“…W-wait.

Lucian.”

Startled by the unfamiliar sensation, she grabbed his arm—half to steady herself, half to stop him.

But Lucian didn’t halt his movement.

“Shasha, act naturally.

If you’re stiff like that, we’ll get caught.”

Instead, he whispered as though urging her to commit to the act.

Really?

Was this truly nothing more than acting to him?

Was she the only one being swallowed whole by this hypersensitive awareness?

Lucian even smiled, unhurried.

Then he dipped his head and, without warning, lightly bit the slender nape of her neck.

“Ah!”

“I’d rather not be interrupted.”

It was the exact moment the priests’ shadows reached the front of the tent.

Shana’s face flushed bright red.

They were so close she could feel his breath.

And yet—something was strange.

The priests lingered as if searching for something, then quickly moved on.

Shana blinked, confused.

Lucian whispered into her ear, breathing heat against her skin.

“I used an illusion spell.

It probably looked like the tent wasn’t even here.”

Ah.

Only then did Shana let out a small breath of relief.

Truthfully, with the blanket covering them, there had been little to see anyway.

“Have we checked this whole row?”

“…Yeah, I think so.

Nothing suspicious.”

The priests’ voices faded.

Their tent was the last one on this side, and because of that, they felt no sense of wrongness at all from Lucian’s illusion magic.

At least, it seemed they hadn’t drawn suspicion.

Shana hurriedly slid off Lucian’s body.

Even so, she was still short of breath from the flustering situation.

Lucian’s gaze lingered intently on the rise and fall of her ribs.

“S-so… when do you think you’ll be able to use teleportation?”

If he could cast illusion magic, maybe his recovery was faster than expected.

Lucian frowned slightly.

Then he smiled, as if to reassure her.

“I’m healing quicker than I thought.

I should be able to use it soon.”

“Really?

That’s a relief.

Maybe that insect monster really works.”

“…What?”

“An insect?”

Shana flinched, realizing too late what she’d said.

Lucian stared at her, dumbfounded.

“Don’t tell me the drink I had… had an insect monster in it.”

Shana pressed her lips together.

Then she said only one thing.

“…I drank it too, Lucian.”

“…So now we’re grinding up insect monsters and drinking them, huh…….”

Despite his words, he didn’t seem angry.

“I really should wipe out every last one of those heretics…….”

‘Guess not,’ Shana thought.

Sensing danger in that line of thought, she quickly tried to change the subject.

Luckily, Lucian asked about the mana instead.

“…But why does it stabilize mana like this?”

“I’m not sure yet.

It looked like just insect monsters mixed with fruit wine, but a combination that simple shouldn’t produce this kind of effect.

Unless… it’s really like those ancient texts say, something close to myth.”

“Because of the power of love?”

Lucian crooked one corner of his mouth.

“Well, Shasha.

If love alone could cure this, I’d have recovered a long time ago.”

“I suppose.”

Shana answered absentmindedly, already thinking about possible formulas.

That was when it happened.

Buuuuung—!

A deep, solemn horn call echoed outside, like the blast of a ship’s horn.

The entire tent settlement stirred.

“Looks like the ritual’s about to start.”

“Perfect timing.

Shall we head out too?”

Lucian spoke lightly, even with a hint of anticipation in his composed smile.

“…Join the ritual?

After all that chaos earlier?”

The endless moans she’d heard.

The absurd inspection they’d just endured.

She couldn’t even imagine what kind of frenzied spectacle awaited during the actual ritual.

“And that drink… it had some kind of unknown excitatory effect too.”

“Shasha.”

Lucian soothed her with a gentle voice.

“Disappearing in the middle of a crowd is the safest, least noticeable way out.”

‘He must have something in mind.’

Shana was uneasy, but his reasoning made sense.

Would blending into the crowd really be safer?

Pretending to do something so embarrassing in front of the priests had shaken her.

But Lucian had always made the best calls in moments of crisis.

‘This time too… we’ll get through it and leave safely.’

Her only worry was his condition.

Shana held Lucian’s hand as they carefully stepped out of the tent.

One reason was fear of losing him in the massive crowd.

The other was to make it clear they were a ‘married couple.’

Lucian’s grip was unexpectedly tight, as if he had no intention of letting go.

Their destination was a massive altar at the center of the tent settlement.

As they walked, people prayed aloud.

Unlike solemn prayers to a chief god, this was closer to a raw, instinctive ritual.

Most were barely clothed, singing incomprehensible songs.

At last, they reached the altar.

The high priest raised a massive horn carved from a conch shell and blew it again.

Buuuuung—

The sound vibrated through every cell in the body.

Near the altar stood multiple huge wooden vats filled with Moon Dew.

Each had a priest beside it, pouring the drink into small wooden cups.

When it was their turn, Lucian slightly bowed his newly silver hair and accepted the cup.

“Glory to the blessing of the great Lord Calis.”

The gentle smile on his lips was flawless.

Even Shana was impressed by how natural his acting was.

The high priest standing at the highest point of the altar spread his arms wide.

“Beloved followers!

Brothers and sisters gathered in the name of Lord Calis!

This water is the blessed gift bestowed upon us by the great male god!”

‘Blessed water, my foot.

It’s just insect monster brew.’

Shana thought dryly.

It clearly stabilized mana, but it wasn’t holy water.

After all, she’d drunk it herself and her scratches hadn’t vanished.

Maybe it only worked for Mana Rejection Syndrome.

‘When is Lucian planning to teleport?’

She glanced anxiously at his profile.

“Now, are you all ready to receive the burning love of Lord Calis?”

“Yes!”

“Calis!”

“Grant us your blazing blessing!”

Everyone raised their cups high, shouting in unison.

Their voices roared until her ears rang.

They shook their cups proudly, faces flushed with excitement.

“This is the blessed Moon Dew!

The moment you drink it, the god’s fiery love shall pierce your flesh and liberate your soul!”

“Ooooh!”

“It is mixed with the blood shed by the god himself!

A true believer must drink every last drop and become one with his great power!”

Just as the priests lifted the vats again to pour more drinks—

“Huh?”

“The drink… where did it go?”

One priest muttered in shock.

The wooden vat in his hands had vanished as if it had never existed.

Not just his.

Every massive vat around the altar disappeared without a trace.

“Moon Dew?”

“Who took it?!

This is sacrilege!”

‘…Lucian.’

Shana instinctively stepped back, realizing it at once.

Lucian set down his cup, wearing an expression of pure innocence.

Shana whispered sharply.

‘You used teleportation?

Right now?’

Lucian nodded calmly.

‘Shasha, you said we’d need it for research.

Might as well take as much as possible.’

He stole the entire supply.

All of it.

While Shana was still stunned by his audacity—

“Someone has used the power of a false god!

Find the one who disrupted this sacred ritual at once!”

“The culprit is among us!

No one move!”

Priests and guards scanned the crowd with blazing eyes.

Lucian took Shana’s hand as if nothing were happening.

“Shall we go, Shasha?”

The world warped violently.

In the blink of an eye, they were back inside the familiar apothecary in the capital.

It was unbelievable magic for someone who had just suffered severe internal injuries.

Still dazed, Shana asked,

“Why did you even take the drink?

Are you really okay?”

She couldn’t understand why he’d used magic twice in succession.

Lucian answered slowly.

“I didn’t like that those priests fed you insect monsters.

…And I wanted to mess with them. More importantly, Shasha.”

Lucian lowered her onto the bed, looking more strained than ever.

At that moment, the silver hair and red eyes created by his transformation magic reverted to his original black hair and deep blue eyes.

His sweat-dampened black hair fell messily over his eyes.

He smiled weakly, his voice almost pleading.

“Shasha…I’ve been holding back for a very long time. You’ll praise me for that, right?”