I Thought I Didn’t Have Long To Live!

Chapter 36 (Once you have slept together, forever you will be sleeping together.)

Asrazan chose to leave his room on his own because he couldn’t change clothes in the room where Lariette was.

Rather than having a set destination, he wanted to go to a place without her in a hurry. Because she was just getting up and was so stimulated for him.

Asrazan left the room, the first thing he encountered was Halstein, who has been standing in front of the door since when. He stared intently at Asrazan with a face so moved that he almost cried.

Asrazan ignored the burdensome gaze and walked past him. However, Halstein did not give in and began to follow Asrazan from behind.

After entering the dressing room, their gaze continued, and eventually Asrazan could not bear it and opened his mouth.

“Why do you see it that way?”

I’m busy getting ready for work, but I’m not in a hurry. Asrazan added briefly.

But despite his remarks, Halstein still had a thrilled face, clasped his hands tightly, and spoke in a recalled voice.

“Master, I…  I believed…!”

Asrazan could not understand his words and frowned slightly. Either way, Halstein’s excited voice continued.

“I firmly believed that one day this day would come, and it finally came!”

“What are you talking about?”

There was a smile warmer than the spring sun on Halstein’s wrinkled face. His green eyes twinkled brighter than ever. His eyes were bright with anticipation.

It had been a long time since I had seen his happy face like this, so Asrazan was embarrassed and forgot that he had to get ready for work quickly and waited for his next words.

However, what followed was as absurd as Lariette’s remarks.

“How should I prepare for the ceremony? What about the date? The dress? What are your wedding preferences?

“… What?”

“As it is Duke Kandel’s wedding, wouldn’t it be better to make it grand? As long as the young lady isn’t burdened, it’s more glamorous than the imperial family….”

Halstein was busy sharing his wedding plans without stopping.

Asrazan felt a bit confused and stiff, then cut off his words hurriedly. If he left it alone, he would even talk about how he would design his child’s room.

“The baby princess’s room is golden…”

“Halstein, stop it.”

“Yes? Stop! How busy you must be! I have to prepare in advance. Marriage is a matter of human history! There should never be any negligence.”

Asrazan touched his wrinkled forehead with his finger. The words were so fast that it was difficult to interrupt.

Marriage.

What a word that doesn’t suit him.

Asrazan has never thought he could marry anyone in his life. It was a natural thing because he never dreamed of dating, let alone getting married.

But now, Asrazan was in love which what he thought was impossible. If so, maybe, perhaps, marriage is possible.

Married to Lariette.

As he recalled that nonsensical word, Asrazan’s face turned as red as a ripe tomato. He covered his mouth with a large hand, trying to calm himself down.

For now, stopping Halstein was a priority.

“I have no plans to marry her.”

Not yet. Asrazan barely swallowed the words that filled his throat.

And Halstein’s expression, who was excitedly talking about his plans, hardened in an instant. His pupil, who was looking at Asrazan, shook violently.

‘It is said that young people these days have sex without even thinking about marriage….’

Halstein’s mouth opened in shock. As long as there’s an agreement, there shouldn’t be a problem. However, what he was curious about was whether Lariette thought so too.

What if Lady Lariette thinks she’s going to get married?

He was furious when he imagined that an innocent and bright young lady would be hurt by Asrazan’s irresponsible decision. I didn’t raise it like that!

“Master, how can you sound so irresponsible…! I’m really disappointed.”

Now Halstein was sending a resentful look to Asrazan. Asrazan let out a short sigh, correcting his misunderstanding.

“I didn’t do anything that I should be responsible for. Don’t be silly, just hurry and get ready.”

When Asrazan finished speaking, the resentment that flashed in Halstein’s eyes became absurd.

A man and woman in their prime, even a man and a woman in a romantic relationship, slept in the same bed and nothing happened? Is that possible?

‘Maybe there is something wrong with my master…?’

His complexion, which had been bright, was now darkened without hesitation. He believed it was not the only place, but I thought that the curse ate everything in Asrazan body.

‘Or if he doesn’t know how to do it…?’

He was too busy teaching how to survive on the battlefield, so he didn’t teach that, now there was a good chance. Halstein began to seriously consider whether Asrazan should be given sex education  now.

After reading Halstein’s subtle gaze, Asrazan narrowed his eyes in displeasure. Then, in a low, cold voice, he ordered again.

“Hurry up, don’t you hear it?”

“Yeah, I see.”

Asrazan did not like repeating the same words. Noticing that he was feeling down, Halstein quickly bowed his head and left the room to do his job.

However, he believed that it was his job as a butler to truly care for his master’s happiness.

And for Asrazan’s true happiness, a little intervention was necessary.

‘Once you have slept together, forever you will be sleeping together.’

Green eyes resembling fresh leaves gleamed sinisterly.

* * *

Lariette got out of bed only after Asrazan had slept for a few more hours after work. It was because of the fatigue accumulated yesterday.

After a full lunch, she left the Duke Kandel mansion by carriage. The destination was the Temple of Alteon.

Asrazan had told her, he was planning to meet Doha. Because he had something to say.

‘I should surprise him.’

Lariette smiled as she imagined Doha in the garden with his eyes wide open when he saw her sudden appearance. She didn’t even send a telegram on purpose.

I was worried that he might be busy, but he didn’t seem too busy from what Doha usually talked about. It wasn’t just that she went out only once or twice.

It seems that the welfare of lower-ranking priests is not bad these days. Lariette looked out the window and thought so.

It would have been a cry of wailing if a low-ranking priest, who was busy with business trips because of his seniors, had heard it. The reality was that they were so busy that they were at the bottom of the temple except for the servants.

Soon the carriage arrived at the Temple of Alteon.

Lariette proudly stepped into the temple. I’ve been here a few times when I was in Blanche, so it wasn’t difficult to get in.

“What did you come here for?”

“Ah, I’m here to meet my friend, the priest. Doha.”

As I spoke with a smile, a priest in charge of the guide tilted his head and looked at the name of the list. But to the best of his knowledge, there was no priest named Doha.

“What is his rank?”

“A low priest.”

There are a lot of lower priests, so some may not know their names. The priest thought so and looked at the list once more.

However, no matter how much he searched, he could not find any information about a priest named Doha.

As the priest continued to tilt his head, Lariette opened her mouth in frustration and spit out additional information.

“He has long silver hair, he is enchantingly pretty, and he has a strong body. His eyes are a bit like foxes. Oh, his eyes are golden.”

As the impressions continued, a person came to mind in the priest’s mind. At first, there was only one priest in Alteon with long silver hair and golden eyes.

‘No way….’

Even though the situation was so clear, the priest hesitated to answer. It was because he was such a person that it was difficult to say.

Besides, the woman clearly said that he was a lower priest. Even if the ranks may have been confused, there was a difference to the extent that a lower priest and a high priest could never be confused.

Mikhail Doha Bellion.

When he recalled the name of the high-ranking official, who had a sharp and terrifying personality, the priest’s face turned pale in an instant.

‘Maybe Doha, Doha Bellion…?’

The priest stared at Lariette with a startled look. And he opened his mouth to make sure his assumptions were correct.

No, he tried to open his mouth. Had it not been for someone who suddenly appeared and put an arm on his shoulder.

“Who are you looking for?”

“Hey, Joe, Officer Joshua!”

The priest rose to his feet and bowed to him. Joshua, a young man with curly red hair, shook his head saying there was no need for that.

Joshua Heimberg. He was a high priest of Alteon and the exclusive servant of High Priest Mikhail. The thought of the person who would become the Pope’s right arm made him salivate.

Lariette, unable to understand the priest’s embarrassment, answered naturally.

“Doha. I don’t know the last name… Anyway, he has pretty silver hair.”

The explanation was quite short because of the cumbersomeness. At the word ‘pretty silver hair’, Joshua smirked for a moment and then smiled kindly.

“Ah, Doha. I will guide you.”

“Oh, do you know each other?”

“Of course. We know each other well.”

I know so much that I don’t want to know any more. Joshua thought as he thought of his savage boss.

The room we arrived at under Joshua’s guidance was so large and luxurious that it was hard to believe that it belonged to a lower priest.

Contrary to Duke Kandel, the whole was bright and embroidered with gold on a white background. The floor was covered with a soft red carpet, and the ornaments surrounding the beige sofa were elegant and luxurious.

Lariette opened her eyes and looked around. Even though Alteon was stronger than the imperial family, it was unbelievable that he would even give such a room to a low-ranking priest.

About ten minutes later, a knock sounded, and soon Doha opened the door and entered. He came in a hurry, so he looked a little more chaotic than usual.

“Rie, what’s going on without contact?”

Doha welcomed Lariette by trimming his outfit naturally. There were wrinkles everywhere because of the hastily changed clothes. It was due to the fact that the colorful high priest’s attire was so difficult to change and his hands were busy.

“I do it on purpose! Are you surprised? I think it must have been difficult for Doha to come to me every time.”

“Yeah, I was surprised. Very.”

Doha skillfully rolled up the corners of his mouth and smiled in response.

You don’t know how surprised I was. Upon hearing the sudden news of her arrival, he hastily sent Joshua away and had to hurriedly remove his headdress and change his clothes.

Somehow, I wanted to do less decoration today. Doha, admiring his intelligence anew, sat across from the sofa she was sitting on.

“So, what really happened? It’s not all meant to surprise me.”

“Um, thank you again for healing me yesterday… Also, I have a request to ask you.”

At the word “request”, her eyes that resembled Doha’s foxes eye’s narrowed slightly. It was because the annoying humans who cling to him to do her favor came to mind for a moment.

He quickly made a good face again and urged it.

“Tell me, Rie. If you ask me, I will do anything.”

“Uh, that’s…”

Lariette looked into his eyes for a moment and hesitated to speak. I felt guilty that I was asking too much from Doha.

But this was something she had thought through from last night to this morning. So Lariette clenched her fists and spoke in a loud voice.

“Doha, teach me how to use magic!”

Doha’s golden eyes, which had been scanning her with suspicion at the sudden content, shook. He answered with a soft trembling of his lips, as if in embarrassment.

“I think you misunderstood something… I’m a priest, Rie?”

“Doha is good at handling divine powers. Holy power and mana are very similar in nature… . Also, I’m actually a purification wizard.”

Lariette confessed in a stern voice that she was a purification wizard, not a healing wizard. It was the information that Doha had noticed from the first meeting, despite her wretchedness.

“I have a lot of mana, but I’m not good at handling it elaborately. I hardly ever learned it properly.”

Lariette reminded me of wizard Joel, who taught me the basics of magic. He was very sad when he received the order of the Duke of Blanche to stop her classes.

“Without asking another wizard?”

“I don’t know any wizards, and… If it’s Doha, I think I can trust it more than anyone else.”

Doha looked at Lariette, who was looking at him with a straight gaze. It was pretty easy to understand. Because purification magic and divine power are very similar in texture.

Lariette bit the soft flesh on the inside of her lips and waited for Doha’s answer.

She wanted to be strong. Even if life was short, I didn’t want to cause any more trouble to Asrazan or Doha, and I wanted to stand up in front of my family with my own abilities.

Also, even if she left Asrazan and went on a trip later, she needed the strength to protect herself. She was gifted with great talent as a wizard, but talent alone cannot survive in battle.

When my pockets were stolen by robbers, when I was captured by the Marquis Segreb, and when I was kidnapped by Duke Blanche.

With her mouth and hands blocked, she was so helpless. Lariette didn’t want to be weighed down by that sense of helplessness any longer. To do that, I had to improve my skills further, to be able to stand upright by myself.

Doha found a strong will in her purple eyes. An unspoiled, pure will. It was not easy to face.

He felt his skin tingling again. Seriously, she was so interesting.

“Okay, Rie. I will teach you.”

“Really? Thank you so much, Doha!”

“Don’t thank me. It’s not free.”

Doha got up from the sofa and put his hands on the table in front of her. Then, he tilted his upper body to meet Lariette’s eyes more closely.

Illustration 

“If I do you a favor…”

Red lips curled wildly. It was as if deep emotions were overflowing under his eyelashes as he lowered it.

“Will you listen to me too?”

Whatever it is. A whisper-like voice tickled Lariette’s ear.