Time Limit - Chapter 9 (Two Wild Beasts)

Asrazan’s hand, which was holding Lariette’s waist, secretly tightened. Unknowingly, he stared at Lariette’s face.

Drops of water slowly flowed down her plump cheeks and chin, and her rose-red lips were gently opened.

Her wet dress shone through her white flesh, and her purple eyes, which he thought were only cheerful, sparkled more seductively than anyone else in the world.

A thick tendon swelled up in Asrazan’s arm. He frowned and pulled her back.

“Hiccup!”

Lariette looked at his face, holding his body, with a shaky pupil. She was so startled that the hiccups started again.

“It looks like you were trying to catch a cold.”

Asrazan let Lariette out of the fountain, then took off his coat and put it on her body. As a thick coat wrapped around her body, she felt less cold.

“I said no. I was going to make you fall for me! Hiccup!”

“Let’s not talk about this.”

He shook his head at the sight of Lariette, who approached him regardless of the situation. Then he whispered, “Excuse me,” and hugged her again.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m just trying to get back to you quickly, there’s no other meaning.”

“There will be a lot of misunderstanding. By the way, what do you do if you catch a cold? I really haven’t caught a cold, so I’m wearing this again. When Asrazan catches a cold, I can’t sleep because of the guilt… ”

“Stop.”

Asrazan stretched out his long legs and walked at high speed, interrupting her. It was because the whispering voice in her ear was so tickling.

Of course, it wasn’t Lariette who stopped telling him to stop.

She was constantly arguing that this date was too short, that it was invalid, and that she really didn’t catch a cold.

The tireless chatter ended only after he threw her down on the bed.

And the next day, Lariette caught a cold. Also with a very bad cold.

* * *

“… 38.5 degrees. The fever is too high.”

After checking the thermometer the maid brought, Halstein said in a worried voice. And as soon as he finished speaking, Asrazan’s cold gaze reached Lariette.

“I’m a person who didn’t catch a cold….”

Lariette, who was lying in the ice-like eyes, turned her head to avoid him. But his stinging gaze kept stabbing her in the face.

“You watched the first cold of my life. congratulations!”

“……”

“I’m sorry…”

I tried to move on happily, but my body didn’t work either. She coughed and turned around.

Asrazan let out a small sigh when he saw her. Someone who doesn’t really fall into the expected category.

“… I have to go to the Palace today. I’ll call the priest, so don’t be silly and get treatment.”

“Ugh, okay.”

Lariette replied obediently. Asrahan, who thought she would complain because she was with him when she was sick, gently raised his eyebrows.

It was natural for her.

Anne was the only person in her life who had listened to her sickness. When Anne was busy, all she had to do was lie down on her own.

So, being sick to Lariette was an act that was not even expected. Asrazan, who thought that she had only grown up being loved by seeing her innocent appearance, could not guess this.

“Then rest.”

“See you tomorrow, Asrazan.”

Lariette waved her hand at him, who gave him a brief greeting. After returning home, Asrazan, who had planned to stop by once, was silent for a while and then left.

Returning to his room to get ready, he walked down the hallway and ordered Halstein.

“Call the priest. It doesn’t matter how much it costs, as soon as possible.”

“I knew you would do that, and I already called. They will be coming soon.”

“… Yes.”

Halstein answered with a happy smile on his wrinkled face. Asrazan frowned as his smile was somehow unpleasant.

Returning to the room, Asrazan hurriedly changed into a robe. On rare occasions, he was served by Halstein because of an abrupt request to attend.

Usually Asrazan was not as close to his servants as possible, so the number of Duke’s Kandel servants was noticeably smaller than other noble families. It was because he did not want to frown on their face.

In an instant, he put on his last black cloak embroidered with gold thread and left the Duke’s mansion.

From going down the stairs to leaving the main gate to the carriage, his head was full of thoughts of Lariette.

‘The reaction was unusual.’

The way she smiled weakly kept coming to his mind. It was a face that was particularly dark because it was painful.

‘… Come to think of it, how was the Duke of Blanche?’

It was a strangely late question that came to his mind now. Although it is said that Blanche’s financial situation is not very good recently, he was still the only three Duke in the Empire and a family that contributed to the founding of the country.

How many months does a princess from such a famous family stay in another Duke’s residence? It was nonsense.

He hadn’t thought about it because of the joy after finding a purifying wizard who could undo his curse, and the embarrassment that the wizard was passionately courting him, whether it was a joke or anything.

‘I’ll have to find out.’

Asrazan tapped the window sill with his finger and fixed his gaze out the window.

Suddenly, the carriage started and was running down the road. And soon he saw a carriage coming from the opposite side. It was a pure white carriage that contrasted very well with the black carriage of the Duke of Kandel.

The carriages of the Temple of Alteon. Asrazan fixed his gaze on the approaching carriage with indifferent eyes.

The two carriages crossed and the windows soon faced each other. He slowly scanned the inside of the white carriage.

In a brief moment, what Asrazan confirmed was the back of someone who was clearly a priest called by Halstein. Long silver hair like a skein of moonlight remained in his afterimage.

“Is like a goddess….”

One corner of Asrazan’s lips rose slightly. And he was startled that he laughed at himself.

Why did you laugh? He asked himself, but of course there was no answer. He wrapped one hand around his forehead, trying to stop thinking about her.

* * *

Lariette was in a light sleep after sending Asrazan. My body was too heavy and too hot. It was the maid’s voice announcing the priest’s visit that woke her from sobbing.

“Lady, the priest has come.”

“Ugh, wait a minute… Please come in.”

Lariette exhaled a hot breath, raised her upper body, and hurriedly adjusted her outfit.

With her permission, the door opened and a priest with long silver hair walked in.

“Excuse me, Is she my patient?”

“… Hiccup!”

Lariette didn’t answer, only a clear hiccup sound. The priest smiled at him and continued talking.

“It looks like that.”

She stared intently at the priest who was approaching her, leaning on the bed with a face flushed with heat.

Hiccups were inevitable. It was because he was a man with a dazzling appearance that could be called a god rather than a priest.

The priest with silver hair shining like stars and golden eyes of a wild beast was so beautiful that if it weren’t for the thick lines, she would have believed that he was a woman.

The wildly curved eyes were particularly attractive, and the sharp nose and sharp jawline were alluring. Wearing a white uniform, his body was as sleek as a jaguar, and his muscles were strong.

‘Thank you, God…’

Before I die, I can see a handsome man like this, even a different type of handsome man than Asrazan. There is no other benevolent God. Lariette made a brief vow that day, she would become a devout believer.

“I’m Doha, the servant of Alteon. What about the Lady?”

“I’m Lariette.”

“Nice to meet you, Lariette.”

Suddenly, the priest, Doha, who sat on the chair next to her bed, smiled and waved his hand.

Lariette could barely hold back the desire to shed tears of emotion as he shook his hand.

“Then, let’s get treatment.”

Without hesitation, Doha reached out and grabbed her cheek.

Lariette was embarrassed by his unexpected posture, but after seeing the golden light spreading, she quietly surrendered herself.

“… You’re not in bad condition, it’s going to take some time. Shall we talk for a moment?”

“Ah yes.”

“How did Lady Lariette stay in a place like this?”

The slyly raised question was sharper than I expected. Lariette smiled and avoided answering.

“Oh, you don’t have to answer if you’re in trouble. I was a little rude. Because of this personality, I am not spared from being bullied even at the temple.”

“Bullying?”

“Yes. because the hierarchical order of the temple is clear, a subordinate priest like me is often ignored.”

“Oh my….”

As a bitter smile spread across his pretty face, Lariette looked at Doha with a sad gaze. It was only after hearing his words that a small wound on his forehead caught my eye.

‘It is said that low-ranking priests who do not have money usually go to treatment on business trips… It seems so. No matter what, he has a scar on such a pretty face, but the seniors will heal him!’

Anger erupted at the priests she had never seen before. It was even more regrettable that the situation was not so good that I could not call the healing wizard.

“Okay, that’s it.”

Doha smiled again and took his hand away from her. Thanks to divine power, my body became lighter and my fever almost disappeared.

Although it was a cure for receiving money, thanks to him flooded in as she recovered her health easily. So, Lariette decided to be kind.

“Hey, would you like to come closer?”

“Of course, my lady.”

Doha approached her without hesitation. With a face that was too close, Lariette, too close to his face, bit her in embarrassment and reached out to his forehead.

“……!”

A white light began to spread and seep into his forehead. Contrary to the expectation that it would be over soon, it took quite a bit of mana to heal only one small wound.

Soon, the small scar on Doha’s forehead disappeared without a trace. Lariette smiled slightly and lifted her hand.

“Okay, that’s it.”

“… It’s amazing.”

Doha’s smile suddenly became stronger as she playfully imitated his words. The corners of the eyes, which had already been bent, were bent even more, and the

“Are you a healing wizard?”

“Um, well, yes.”

There was no need to add to the rumors of Asrazan by claiming that she was a purification wizard, so Lariette nodded. Doha gently touched the edge of the bed with her finger and continued.

“Anyway, would you like to work as my healing wizard? I pay the price without regret.”

It must have been a mistake to think that she was a wizard without money. Or maybe I’m just exaggerating.

Lariette thought for a moment, but then shook her head. It was because she wasted mana somewhere else and couldn’t purify Asrazan’s curse because it was a big deal.

“I’m busy right now, so it’s a bit difficult.”

“Then what about later? Any time you have time to spare is fine.”

“Uh… Later, well, maybe.”

“Good. I promise. As a token of my gratitude, I will continue to treat you free of charge. Of course, if you treat me at any time, I will always pay a commensurate price.”

Her round eyes widened at the unexpected suggestion. There was nothing bad about it for her.

Still, I was embarrassed to have to bear the medical expenses to Asrazan! Lariette smiled brightly at the joy that she had found a way to make money that she could use when she left the Duke of Kandel’s residence one day.

“Okay!”

“Since we have such a good relationship, how about being friends?

“Friend…?”

“I like Lady Lariette so much that it’s not only a stark employment relationship.”

Doha brought his face closer to Lariette and smiled seductively.

It was a word I hadn’t heard in a very long time. Friend. Her life pretending to be a great princess was tough, and she couldn’t make any true friends.

‘Yes, you should experience friendship once before you die.’

Lariette nodded her head as if she had made up her mind. Doha smiled and said his first greeting as a close friend.

“Great. Please take care of me, lady?”

He seemed to have spoken quickly. She was a little perplexed, but then answered with a smile.

“Yes, Doha.”

* * *

Temple of Altheon, the most sacred and noble place in the Kharshan Empire.

A shabby carriage stopped in front of a beautiful white building rising high toward the sky.

A man with long silver hair, Doha fluttered his white robe and got off the carriage.

His steps toward the front door were infinitely dignified, and his face was as cold as if he had ever smiled.

The main gate of the huge temple began to open smoothly with a single hand gesture from Doha, as if it would not open even if some generals tried.

Another priest bowed his head and approached behind him as he walked down the elegant indigo blue carpeted hallway.

“Here you are”

“Ah, yes.”

“… Excuse me, where did you go without saying a word?”

The priest gave a brief answer and asked Doha, who was moving. Due to the difference in leg length, Doha walked leisurely while he almost had to run.

“The Duke of Kandel.”

“Yes? Why is that monster Duke…?”

“Travel treatment.”

“Yes?!”

Why do you go for it? The priest asked the question with an absurd expression, but Doha did not answer, but bowed and brought his face closer to him.

“Why is your face suddenly… Oh my! The wound…?”

“It was the healing wizard who was there.”

“Is a healing wizard working there?”

The priest opened his mouth wide and looked at his broad forehead. It was clear skin with no blemish left.

It’s impossible. The priest looked at Doha and muttered blankly.

“Yeah, that’s impossible.”

It was impossible for the Archmage and the high priests.

The divine power and the healing power are subtly different in nature, so it was possible for a healing wizard to heal a priest who was stronger than him.

However, it was only when the difference in power was not large, and if there was an overwhelming difference, it would never be possible.

“How could a mere healing wizard heal Sir Mikhail wounds?!”

The priest raised his voice saying he couldn’t believe it. Doha replied with a smirk towards him.

“I should find out from now on.”

Mikhail Doha Bellion.

The High Priest, who is appointed as the next pope of the Empire’s state religion, the Alteon Church, flashed the golden eyes of the wild beast as he recalled the newly discovered cute prey.