He was lost in thought for a long time. After a moment of quiet silence, he spoke in a laughing voice.
“I didn’t know my son could have such a good eye for women. To think that he brings someone like you as a lover.”
I smiled lightly and shrugged my shoulders.
Ruthos continued.
“Even if the curse was lifted, I was obsessed with spending time only on things that were profitable, as I had been living my life up until now.”
He said looking at the pocket watch.
“I suppose so. Even after escaping from the crossroads of death, you were only thinking about work.”
[The God of Art, Mond, expects him to donate a lot of offerings and artworks to the temple of art to commemorate his retirement.]
I said, looking at Ruthos.
“Time is precious to everyone. I… hope that the Merchant Lord spends time searching for the many lost times.”
Staying up all night looking at the beautiful stars, watching three or four year olds laughing and running around, being fascinated by unfamiliar scenery, getting to know and hanging out with new people.
All of them weren’t practical, but they were acts that gave pleasure. I thought it would be nice if he finally escaped from the curse and found a taste for the world, and tried various foods. It’s a pity that he only eats the cream soup he’s always been accustomed to.
“Please think of this as a little advice as a saintess rather than as the Marquis’ lover.”
At my words, he looked at me for a long time as if he was moved. And after a while he opened his mouth.
“My father once told me that story when I was little. Cass, it’s probably something I’ve never told you.”
Ruthos said with a sad smile.
[All the Gods listen to Ruthos.]
“As the Golden Kingdom became more and more corrupt and the royal family became unspeakably cruel, the Primordial God sent a girl with a beautiful soul to bring the royal family to repentance.”
It was the first time I had heard of it.
“The girl told the king to repent by preaching the word of God, yet the king got drunk and hung the girl outside the city wall. And… God’s wrath came. The Golden Kingdom was destroyed, the people were enslaved, and the royal family was cursed.”
As I listened to the story, for some reason, my heart skipped a beat.
“When I asked my father when this curse would end, he said this. Until the Primordial God forgives us. And… it won’t end until the girl who died forgives us.”
Ruthos looked at me and smiled sadly with dark eyes.
“The curse won’t be lifted until someone dead forgives us. I have accepted it as saying that the curse will never be lifted and buried this story. But seeing you here like this…”
His words dug deep into my heart.
“I have a feeling that maybe the girl forgave us.”
He hid his words, omitting the words, beyond a long, long time.
[The Gods whisper, recalling past events.]
[The Gods exchange glances and nod their heads.]
[The Gods look at you with warm eyes.]
I told them, feeling my heart throb with strange emotions.
“May the Gods forgive and bless the Lloyd family now.”
***
After greeting Ruthos, I left the mansion with Cass. We took a walk together through the large garden. I feel like my body is heavy because I ate so many delicacies.
“He seems like a nice person.”
Cass smiled lightly at my words.
“I’m glad you liked Father.”
That word was somehow awkward. It’s not that the father-in-law likes the daughter-in-law, but that the daughter-in-law likes the father-in-law…
‘Wait, what am I thinking.’
Surprised by my own thoughts, I cleared my throat.
“However…”
Cass subtly twisted her body to block my path. My forehead almost hit his hard chest, and I looked up at him, holding a little close to him. Dark eyes were staring at me.
“I’m freed from the curse as well.”
At that, I looked at him curiously.
“So… Please think of me as well.”
I opened my eyes wide at his words. For some reason, his cheeks looked a little red.
[The God of Knowledge, Hessed, knocks on the heart of the God of Love, Odyssey]
[The God of Destruction, Ciel, bites Hessed’s shoulder.]
[The God of Knowledge, Hessed, is wearing full armor, so it makes a cranky sound.]
His expression suddenly struck me as cute. Then a chuckle came out, pfft.
“You’re not jealous of the Merchant Lord, are you?”
At my words, he reached out and wrapped his hand around my back, pulling me into his arms. His face was no longer visible.
“If my father leaves, I will have to continue working, and then I will have less time to meet the Saintess.”
His strangely sullen voice was so cute that I kept putting a smile on my lips.
“I also want to travel. With you.”
My heart continued to beat.
“Then we can go on a trip next time. If we make a plan step by step from now on…”
I remembered what happened when I went to Ares. The moment we were together in the same carriage, I fell asleep and woke up to find my head resting on his shoulder.
“I will decline the next time.”
“Marquis?”
Cass said as if he wouldn’t back down.
“I’m thinking of hitting the player. Before Father packs his things first.”
I heard his voice.
“I will go to the temple tomorrow morning.”
“Yes? Yeees?”
[The God of Love, Odyssey, loves Cass’ strength.]
[The God of Benevolence, Oman, regrets that it’s not tonight.]
I stepped out of his arms, looked at him, when he asked again.
“You don’t have any urgent schedules, do you?”
“That’s right, but…”
He reached out and touched my cheek.
“It drives me crazy because I want to be with you every day.”
My heart skipped a beat at that low confession.
“But the Merchant Lord…”
“Let me become an unfilial son this time.”
I laughed out loud at his strong voice. My cheeks were still hot and my heart fluttered endlessly.
“I like it.”
He pulled me back and held me in his arms.
“I like it better.”
And as I tried to hug him, I heard his voice.
“Leave your hand still.”
Then, in a low voice, he spoke again in a whisper.
“Because the more you stimulate me, the more I want to take you away right now.”
[The God of Destruction, Ciel, blushes.]
[The God of Benevolence, Oman, wants to encourage Cass to say that he doesn’t have to be patient.]
My heart was beating fast.
***
“Four days.”
The next day, I handed over my luggage to Cass and said so.
“It’s too short.”
[The God of Knowledge, Hessed, agrees with Cass.]
[The God of Benevolence, Oman, claims that each of your concubines should have a honeymoon of about a month.]
[The God of Love, Odyssey reassures arrogance that this is a honeymoon, so the honeymoon will be long enough.]
“I’m a saintess, you know, I can’t leave the temple for too long. This is a vacation I barely got.”
It was a schedule that was urgently received by pecking at the priest in charge for four days.
“Still, I will take comfort in the assumption that you will give us one month after the wedding.”
“Yes?”
You didn’t see what Oman just said, did you? I was hot for nothing.
“It’s nothing.”
Cass smiled and escorted me into the carriage.
I stumbled into the carriage, and the carriage started.
“By the way, where are we going?”
“Originally, I wanted to travel for a long time and enjoy the pleasure of travel, but due to time, I will have to use the magic movement circle.”
“If it’s a magic movement circle, did we use it when we went to Ares?”
“That’s right.”
The carriage headed in the direction of Cass’ mansion. Then, after entering the mansion, we stopped in a moving circle installed magnificently in a corner of the garden.
“We will go to the Lloyd family’s summer house.”
“A summer house… Is it somewhere cool?”
Cass nodded his head and smiled.
“You won’t be disappointed.”
Then he put his hand on my shoulder and looked at my collarbone.
“You didn’t come wearing the Pendant of Seal today.”
I remembered what happened before and smiled. I felt we shared quite a few memories.
After a while, a bundle of light came in from outside the window, and in the blink of an eye, we were in a different landscape.
“Ah… It’s amazing to go through it again, the magic circle.”
A cool sound came from outside the carriage window.
“This is Pervise Beach at the northeast end of the Empire. It was once a foreign land, but it was subjugated and now it has become the territory of the Empire.”
When I put my head out, the scenery of the cool sea came into my eyes.
My heart was pounding. It was my first sight of the sea after coming to this world.