#52
“Do you like me that much?”
Jeha idly played with Hereis’s hair as he asked. Hereis knew Jeha adored his silver hair.
He knew Jeha’s gaze lingered whenever he cast his eyes down slightly, captivated by his beautiful appearance, which Hereis had once deemed utterly useless.
Never before had he felt so fortunate about his own looks.
“It’s beyond definition by such trivial words… The profound and pure darkness that forms your very soul, the black hair and eyes that reveal that darkness without reserve, your gaze, your gestures, your words, your breath, your warmth… I worship all that constitutes you, Jeha.”
What about Hereis’s earnest confession had struck Jeha as amusing? Jeha let out a light laugh.
He yearned to monopolize even the slight tremor of the body in his arms, caused by that laughter.
“‘Worship’ is a strong word… Then again, you are a priest, so such expressions must be familiar to you.”
As Jeha spoke, he took a handful of Hereis’s hair, brought it to his nose, and inhaled its scent deeply. The moment Jeha savored him was utterly intoxicating.
“It’s late. Let’s get some sleep now. We’ll be entering Enkarosha tomorrow, and while I’ll be fine, you, Hereis, will surely be quite busy.”
Jeha said, his tone soothing. Hereis nodded, a pang of reluctance in his heart.
He then carefully lifted Jeha, who was seated on his lap.
Walking to the bed, Hereis gently laid Jeha down, who settled into place without resistance. Lying beside him, Hereis ran his fingers through Jeha’s beautiful black hair, just as Jeha had done to him.
Jeha gave a slightly bashful smile, then let out a small yawn. After blinking slowly a few times, his eyelids softly closed.
With his eyes closed, Jeha seemed to fall into a deep slumber almost immediately. It was hard to tell if he was truly asleep or merely resting his eyes.
Being no ordinary human, he was difficult to fully comprehend. Hereis could only assume he was in a deep sleep, given his soft, regular breathing.
Now that he thought about it, Jeha had always been like this during their shared nights in bed over the past few days. He would fall into a deep sleep almost instantly, even after passionate kisses.
As the Demon King, he wouldn’t be susceptible to fatigue, so perhaps it was due to his inherent attribute of sloth.
Hereis lay on his side, gazing endlessly at Jeha. Then, a sudden realization struck him.
In this moment, gods and temples held no meaning for him. Thoughts of his pitiable sister, along with the accompanying rage and resentment, were completely forgotten.
Only the being before him mattered.
From what moment, exactly?
He had summoned the Demon King and formed a contract, intending to dismantle the gods and temples, to cast them into the mire. He sought to achieve his goals by borrowing the Demon King’s power.
For that purpose, he had sworn to offer his soul and body to Bellarossa.
Yet now, Hereis’s objective was no longer singular. His resolve to overthrow the gods and temples remained, but the being before him was more important than that… no, even beyond that.
If he succeeded in dragging the names of the gods and temples through the mud, but was then ignored by Bellarossa… If he were abandoned by Bellarossa afterward, what good would any of it be?
No matter how human this being before him seemed and felt, it was still Bellarossa, a fragment of the Demon God. Once their contract was fulfilled, he would likely return to the Demon Realm.
Would he remain by Hereis’s side even after the contract ended? Even if Hereis became his possession and went with him to the Demon Realm, would Bellarossa keep him close? Would he still remain Bellarossa’s Jeha?
As Hereis stared intently at Jeha, lost in thought, a deep shadow crept into his sapphire eyes.
****
Chapter 5
The final day’s journey, nearing Enkarosha, proceeded smoothly. Though more than half a day’s travel remained, the road was wide and meticulously paved, ensuring the carriage rode without a single jolt.
The landscape flashing past the window consisted entirely of flat plains, save for the occasional broad river.
As they traveled, they passed through large, sparsely scattered villages. Most of these villages were comprised of two- or three-story brick houses.
The construction styles of the villages closer to Enkarosha appeared remarkably similar. Jeha, feeling as though he were on a European tour, couldn’t tear his gaze away from the window, reveling in the sights.
Seated opposite him in the carriage, Hereis’s gaze was both profound and persistent. Instead of looking out the window, he stared intently at Jeha the entire time.
Initially, that gaze had been quite burdensome, but with time, Jeha had somehow grown accustomed to it.
Ever since hearing that a fervent, indiscriminate mating festival was held daily in Bellarossa, Jeha had minimized physical contact with Hereis. He felt embarrassed by the prospect of his intimate life being known across the entire domain.
However, it seemed Hereis had perceived this as a rejection. Hereis was feeling a little… no, quite significantly anxious.
Frankly, it was surprising. Up until now, Hereis had been enigmatic.
He seemed to flirt with Jeha, yet at the same time, maintained a noble demeanor. He always kept Jeha guessing. There had even been times Jeha had deliberately annoyed him.
But the person he had seen last night was entirely different.
Jeha turned his gaze from the window to Hereis. Their eyes met, Hereis’s sapphire ones seeming to have been waiting for him.
A faint smile spread around Hereis’s eyes, as if delighted by Jeha’s attention.
‘Oh, for heaven’s sake, stop being so charming, you!’
Jeha inwardly lamented, yet returned Hereis’s smile.
To think he would cling so desperately, begging not to be abandoned, even asking to be monopolized. Jeha was, frankly, a little surprised.
But seeing that, he realized once more. That this man had no one left but him.
The thought made him feel pity for Hereis.
He had no intention of making Hereis needlessly anxious. However, being unilaterally swayed by him was not what Jeha wanted either.
So, what should he do?
Jeha turned his gaze back to the window, lost in thought.
He pondered for a long time, but no solution that would satisfy them both came to mind.
As the carriage continued its ceaseless journey, the road steadily widened. Carriages, wagons, and people on horseback were becoming quite noticeable on the road.
He could feel the gazes of passersby lingering on their carriage. It was probably unavoidable.
With the Marquis Belgarga’s party and Archbishop Hereis’s entourage combined, the procession was considerably long. Moreover, banners symbolizing both of them proudly fluttered at the head of the procession.
“Your Excellency.”
A Belgarga knight rode his horse close to the carriage and called out to Jeha. When Jeha looked his way, the knight spoke.
“We will soon cross the bridge leading into Enkarosha.”
“A bridge?”
“Yes, the bridge is just ahead, coming into view.”
At the knight’s words, Jeha leaned his upper body out the window to look ahead. As the knight had said, a wide river flowed into view.
Spanning the river was a wide, sturdy-looking stone bridge. The bridge was wide enough for two or three carriages to pass abreast.
And the scenery on the far side, beginning at the bridge’s end, was nothing short of a magnificent spectacle.
“Ah… so that’s Enkarosha!”
Jeha exclaimed with pure admiration.
Beyond the bridge, a truly vast and bustling city stretched endlessly. Buildings were packed tightly together, leaving no empty space.
In the very center of the city, whose limits were hard to discern, a large, magnificent white building stood tall. No one needed to tell him.
That was the Grand Temple, the heart of Enkarosha.
“Welcome to Enkarosha, Jeha.”
Hereis said. Though he wasn’t particularly religious, seeing the headquarters of a continent-spanning faith with his own eyes filled him with a surge of emotion.
“I’d heard it was grand, but it truly is magnificent.”
Jeha pulled his upper body back into the carriage, speaking frankly. The cityscape viewed from the top of Belgarga Castle Tower had been impressive, but it couldn’t compare to Enkarosha.
He suspected only a city where an emperor resided might rival Enkarosha.
At Jeha’s awe, Hereis simply smiled.
“Your Excellency.”
The knight outside the window called again.
“Will you proceed directly to the Grand Temple, or would you prefer to stop at your lodging first?”
As the Belgarga family rarely interacted with outsiders, they did not own a separate residence in Enkarosha. Paimon had sent two knights ahead to secure accommodations for their stay in Enkarosha.
By now, they had likely found a reasonably good inn.
“Hmm…”
Jeha pondered for a moment. Although the journey hadn’t been excessively long, he felt hesitant about heading straight to the Grand Temple.
While the Grand Temple offered many sights, it was also a place where complex interests and relationships were intertwined, making the mere thought of it a headache.