No Such Thing as a Chaste Man! Just Give It Ten Tries! - Chapter 20
“…Seo-ah.”
Ephelinus’s face stiffened slightly at her joking tone.
In the moonlit balcony, he looked different than usual. His strong brow, high nose bridge, and sensual lips—all the pronounced features—were accentuated by the pale moonlight, casting deeper shadows that enhanced his sculpted appearance.
He seemed almost angry, as if tormented by the thought of the danger she had just faced.
With his stern expression, Seo-ah couldn’t bring herself to smile or joke, so she simply raised her gaze, waiting to see how he would react.
‘If someone suggests you go get some fresh air in the garden, head to the balcony, or step out to the powder room—they’re just up to no good, understand?’
So then… was this a ruse? Why had he taken her to the balcony, of all places? Ephelinus, a native of Genève, surely knew the typical purpose of the balconies during banquets. Did this mean he had loosened his guard somewhat?
Did it mean her seduction tactics, or perhaps her jealousy strategy, had worked?
Her dark brown eyes sparkled like the night sky, and she arranged her practiced, alluring expression, honed over several days.
“Hood.”
Suddenly, he said a word that seemed entirely out of context.
“You put it in your pocket earlier, didn’t you?”
“Oh.”
He was talking about the cape he had tried to place on her earlier. Seo-ah, grumbling, reached into her pocket. She pulled out the delicate organza cape, still tied with the ribbon Ephelinus had fastened earlier, along with Jenny’s concoction and Nemion’s artifact inside her pocket.
Taking the cape from her, he gently placed it over her head, adjusting it exactly as he had intended. The lace ribbon covered her neckline, while the draped hood concealed her bare back.
Still unsatisfied, his gaze roamed over her shoulders and neck, but he kept it from slipping below her collarbone. After a moment, as if making a decision, he removed the ceremonial shawl draped over his own robes and wrapped it around her shoulders.
It was made of double layers of light silk embroidered with gold, the symbol of the High Priest, now tied around her like a scarf, ensuring no bare skin showed.
“Your Holiness?”
“Was the whole idea you and Lady Istel had simply to make yourself into a spectacle?”
His voice was harsher than she had ever heard in their five years together. Though three and a half of those years had been spent apart on expeditions, Seo-ah could sense that he was genuinely upset.
Why?
Was it because of the wine’s high alcohol content that he had downed so quickly?
Or because Seo-ah had nearly drunk it herself?
Or perhaps he thought she looked insincere and artificial mingling with the aristocrats who normally wouldn’t give her a second glance?
Or maybe it was her ‘worldly’ attire, unbecoming of a saintess?
Seo-ah had never seen him openly express such negative emotions, so she couldn’t read his thoughts.
Ephelinus’s gaze shifted slightly to her skirt hem, which fell just below her knees. Beneath it, the silk ribbons wrapped around her ankles, reminiscent of ballet shoes, fluttered softly in the breeze.
Watching the ribbons, he parted his lips as if to say something, then fiddled with the buttons at his collar as if they were stifling him, and finally, he muttered through gritted teeth.
“I simply can’t understand what benefit you get from self-objectifying like this.”
“Excuse me?”
“Parading your body like a commodity. Laughing and chatting to please everyone. Drinking wine you’re unfamiliar with just to blend in. And all this to become nothing more than an accessory for the Senate members who look down on you—is this truly so essential to you?”
“Your Holiness…!”
“Do you know how I feel when I see you—”
“Stop it.”
Seo-ah’s face hardened into an icy mask. “Objectifying,” “self-exploitation,” “commodity,” “accessory”… all terms that disregarded her attire and the efforts she had put into it. She couldn’t help but feel hurt.
“You don’t understand, do you? No, I suppose you don’t even want to. You’ve ignored everything I’ve said.”
Overwhelmed with frustration, Seo-ah’s voice rang out, sharp and unyielding—something she would never normally use with him.
Perhaps it wasn’t Ephelinus’s intoxication that was affecting the situation, but her own.
“Everyone else seems to have realized it, yet you’re the only one pretending not to notice.”
“……”
“I’m staying here. No matter what it takes.”
Seo-ah glared at him, emphasizing each syllable.
“Of course, you might think I have no way to stay. After all, you’re the one who made it that way.”
“Seo-ah.”
“But I’ve been trying to persuade you all this time. Or I’ve been trying to make you see me as… as someone special…”
No, that wasn’t it. She stopped herself, biting down on the inside of her lip.
So far, her attempts to seduce Ephelinus had been subtle and indirect. Instead of plainly telling him she wanted to be with him, she had taken aphrodisiacs or found reasons to end up in his bed, giving him the choice without pressuring him.
But now… she no longer felt inclined to give him that option.
She simply didn’t have the luxury to wait any longer.
