The Pious Priest’s Sinful Collection

“So then, you’re saying I should use this formula here, correct?”

She pointed to a section in the book spread out on the desk. After a brief pause, Theodore nodded.

“That’s correct. You catch on quickly.”

“……”

Daphne cast a sidelong glance at the man’s shoulder, which had subtly tilted away from her. His large frame, which had sat upright and perfectly still until a moment ago, leaned slightly to the side, putting some distance between them.

‘I don’t know if I should take this as him avoiding contact or running away…’

She had come to his desk, book in hand, because there was something she wanted to ask him.

Theodore had leaned his upper body slightly to the side so that his large frame wouldn’t touch her. It looked uncannily like a cat dodging a person’s hand.

The subtle rejection carried an odd emotional weight, and Daphne slowly rubbed the spot on the page where her finger had pointed.

‘I thought he was just stoic… but the more I see him, the stranger he gets. Is he just shy?’

And yet, wasn’t this the same man who would appear behind her without a sound, lending a perfectly timed hand before disappearing again? The same man who once left her flustered with the unmistakable outline of his aroused member?

Now, when she was the one drawing near, he looked completely at a loss. It was enough to make Daphne let out a baffled laugh.

Not even an hour ago, she’d sworn to conduct herself like a child of the Holy Spirit. But each time she caught a new glimpse of Cardinal Theodore Valentino’s unexpected idiosyncrasies, that vow threatened to flip like a coin.

‘But how am I supposed to resist that?’

Her gaze fixated on the back of Theodore’s neck, exposed above his clerical collar. Neatly trimmed and likely scratchy to the touch, it was as red as the outer rim of his ear had been earlier. Even from a galloping carriage, anyone could tell he was embarrassed — though that was precisely why it felt so unbelievable.

Who would’ve guessed that the man known for devoutly upholding doctrine and serving as a model priest could hide such a disarming side?

Anyone who claimed to know Theodore Valentino would never imagine that just looking at him like this could cause such a ticklish feeling in one’s chest.

‘It’s a marvel, really. How could someone like him have done that?’

Even now, if she closed her eyes, the vivid outline she’d seen that day would reappear in her mind. It left an impression impossible to forget.

‘…I suppose it happens. I’ve heard men can just get aroused for no reason. It’s what they do with it that says who they really are. And unlike me, he’s the real deal.’

She could tell because she herself was not what she seemed. That was how she knew Cardinal Theodore Valentino was someone who truly clung to God.

Unlike her, who longed to remain in the temple purely for the sake of her physical comfort, this man was the textbook example of a priest.

And Daphne knew this because she had, more than once, witnessed him praying quietly during solitary walks near the convent.

It wasn’t for show. It wasn’t a prayer performed at some designated place. Even in spots where reverence wasn’t required, he maintained his devout posture. That could only mean he believed with his whole heart — unlike her, who peeked at him in secret just to admire the perfect statue God had sculpted.

Of course, he must have his flaws. No matter how dearly loved by God, no human could be without them.

But if he possessed something that fine and carried such unexpected charms on top of it — well, that changed the game entirely.

‘Ah, right. Come to think of it, it’s been a while since I last used it, hasn’t it? No wonder these impure thoughts keep sneaking up on me.’

Daphne pressed her knees together beneath her vestments and tensed her fluttering lower belly.

‘I’ll never be able to focus on training unless I take care of this first.’

She had no intention of marrying out in the world, but when it came to pleasuring herself, she took the matter quite seriously. She decided she’d need to find some relief soon.

When she stepped away from the desk, having thanked him for answering her questions, Theodore Valentino straightened his torso as if nothing had happened.

Back at her seat, Daphne focused on the documents again. But whenever she lifted her head, she caught a glimpse of those golden eyes pretending not to look at her.

She bit the inside of her cheek.

‘I thought I was the only one who noticed.’

To think that Cardinal Theodore Valentino was sneaking glances at her.

Maybe it was because she’d seen this unexpected side of him, but somehow he seemed kind of cute.

In truth, ever since that embarrassing incident with his erxction, Daphne had been caught in a whirlwind of confused arousal. She repeatedly fell asleep after pressing her hands down there for relief. After all, the exhaustion that came after release made it easy to drift off without thinking about anything.

Even so, the thought of having to visit the Cardinal’s office by three in the afternoon had her stumbling through the morning, making mistake after mistake. She found herself apologizing more and more to her peers, who’d begun to ask what was wrong with her lately.

They only knew she had started receiving training for her duties. They had no idea the one instructing her was Cardinal Theodore Valentino himself. With Bishop Isabella away, everyone just assumed she was the one teaching her.

There was no way Daphne could explain why her head was a mess, and it troubled her deeply to realize she’d have to sit in the same room as Cardinal Valentino for a full two hours in such a state.

And yet, seeing him just now more flustered than even she was had eased her nerves quite a bit.

It was like when something makes you angry, but the person next to you explodes first, and somehow, that calms you down instead.

Still, she figured this was the right point to stop. If she pushed things any further and left the Cardinal visibly rattled, she’d be no different from the harlot foretold in the prophecies.