<Chapter 31>

‘Damn it, I didn’t think it was that kind of book.’

Temenos should have closed it the moment he had a bad feeling. Yet, out of sheer curiosity—just in case it had some connection to divine punishment—he had clung to the book until the last page the night before. Now, he was furious with himself.

‘Why in the world is a book like that in the duke’s library?’

And not just any risqué book—it had the audacity to incorporate grandiose words like holy war and history.

“……Your Grace? Are you listening?”

Temenos nodded absentmindedly, his eyes returning to the documents in front of him. He handed over the training of retired knights to the knight commander with one firm instruction:

“Push them hard—so hard they don’t even have the energy to entertain useless thoughts.”

The knight commander, with his inflexible sense of duty, took Temenos’ words literally. As a result, the retired knights were pushed even harder than the day before.  

Yet, not a single person dropped out. In fact, some of them were even deemed fit to return to active duty.  

“How is it possible for someone missing limbs to improve this much after just two days of training?”

“It seems the strong desire to regain their former skills is a powerful motivator.”

Temenos furrowed his brows.

‘It can’t just be motivation driving them.’

A faint sense of unease gnawed at him. Was it wise to push these men so hard? If their bodies became too strong, would their minds follow, turning them into zealots? The consequences could be catastrophic.

“And I heard, Your Grace, that you plan to assign the Prospective Duchess’s guard duties to them based on their recovery order.”

“Me?”

“Yes? ……Was I mistaken?”

“I never said that.”

Assigning Inosensia’s protection to these overzealous men would undoubtedly lead to disaster. They might draw their swords to block falling leaves or tear up every path in the manor, claiming they were removing potential trip hazards.

‘Then again, if I tell them not to even think about guarding Inosensia, they might stage a protest.’

Given that some of them could look him in the eye and argue back without hesitation, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to say they’d already lost their sanity.

There was no other choice. Temenos had to keep them isolated from Inosensia and continue grinding them into the ground until their heads cooled.

“Tell them the training continues. Short-term results aren’t enough to determine readiness. Warn them that anyone injured from overexertion will be put on rehabilitation for an entire year.”

“Understood. Oh, and the ceremonial attire is ready……”

Realizing what David was getting at, Temenos waved a dismissive hand.

“Leave it. I’ll try it on later.”

David hesitated before speaking again, emboldened by Temenos’ apparent indifference. But when their gazes met, David instinctively averted his eyes.

‘Failed again.’

While it wasn’t as bad as before—when simply being in Temenos’ presence made him shake uncontrollably—he still couldn’t hold the man’s gaze.

‘Still, there’s hope.’

If he kept improving bit by bit, one day, he might even be able to help Temenos change clothes. Encouraged by that thought, David bowed deeply.

“Understood. Since it’s your wedding attire, please note even the smallest discomfort and report it.”

After David left, the office fell silent. Alone, Temenos glanced at the ceremonial outfits left behind.

Eight in total. Just thinking about trying them all on, checking for fit and comfort, already exhausted him.

If not for the divine punishment placed upon him, he could have easily asked the tailors or attendants for help.

But how could he expect assistance from people who could barely approach him? It was fortunate enough that David had managed to take his measurements.

‘If I ask Inosensia for help……’

No. Absolutely not.

Shaking his head vigorously, Temenos pushed the thought away. There were others he could ask for help. Asking her to assist him with changing would surely lead to……  

“Amazing abs?”

“……”

“A broad chest? A lean, defined waistline? Or maybe…”

He couldn’t trust a woman like her, with that seemingly innocent yet utterly scheming demeanor. Asking her for help could only end badly.

‘Just yesterday, after accusing me of trying to drag her into bed in broad daylight, she was the one who actually pinned me down.’

Of course, letting her pin him down might be the more accurate way to phrase it.

“Anyway! I’ve warned you. If this happens again, I won’t go easy on you next time. Got it?”

The nerve of her—initiating everything, only to threaten him afterward.

To Temenos, her warning sounded more like a promise to seize the next opportunity.

‘The wedding isn’t far away, yet she couldn’t even wait until then……’

How did a woman like her ever earn the title of Saintess?

Would God even know? That His so-called saintess is a shameless temptress, constantly scheming for opportunities to indulge in her desires for her fiancé’s body?

The memory of Inosensia’s wandering hands on his abdomen made Temenos’ ears turn red.

If the maid hadn’t given her a pointed look, there was no telling where her hands might have ventured.

‘Even if she’s lost her memory, surely she hasn’t forgotten the basic decency of waiting until after marriage?’

But reports from Countess Orman, who was overseeing Inosensia’s lessons, confirmed that her studies were progressing smoothly.

If her memory loss had been so severe as to erase such common sense, Temenos would have heard about it by now.

‘So if it’s not ignorance, and all her actions are deliberate…’

He found himself looking down at his hand.

When he had impulsively covered her eyes to escape her intense gaze, she didn’t resist or scream. She simply stood there, as though his touch didn’t bother her.

She had even embraced his arm—the one covered in golden reptilian scales—with no hesitation, and then…

“For your future’s sake, let me warn you. A handsome man like you shouldn’t be so defenseless when bringing a woman to a bed…”

‘……!’

Temenos froze, holding his breath.

A realization hit him like a thunderbolt.

‘Wait. Could it be…?’

Yesterday’s book had a scene like that.

In it, the saintess fell for the holy knight at first sight. When asked why she liked him so much, her answer was:

“Because he’s handsome.”

And in the story, the saintess devised endless schemes to lure the knight into her bed.

It was unmistakable.

“A handsome man like you……”

Inosensia.

‘Did she fall for me at first sight?’

She had even said things like:

“If you lose someone precious and grieve, I’ll be sad too.”

“So think about it seriously. For my sake, if nothing else.”

Another scene from the book surfaced in his mind.

“How can you keep quiet after being hurt this badly? What, were you planning to stay silent until you were lying in a coffin?!”

“……I didn’t want you to cry. Seeing you cry breaks my heart.”

“Is it only your heart that breaks? Mine feels like it’s been torn to shreds!”

‘No. Stay calm.’

The holy knight in the book and I are different. True, Inosensia had once called my scaled face handsome, but…

Catching his reflection in the mirror, Temenos met his own gaze. With his mask still on, only his right side was visible.

“……”

After staring for a moment, he began unbuttoning his shirt.

As he parted the fabric, his eyes fell on his body. His muscular torso, sharp and sculpted like a statue, stood out starkly against the golden scales that shimmered under the lamplight.

And yet, the left side—his chest, abdomen, and waist—was completely covered in those same reptilian scales.

For a long moment, Temenos stared at himself, his expression unreadable.
 

<To be continued>

Join the GS Discord to stay updated on the latest chapter releases:

https://discord.gg/PRZEAJZE3J