Grant Me Your Grace

“Ah…!”

Hissin, who had been relentlessly pushing Dahlia, suddenly stopped. 

The heat that had been expanding endlessly lost its way in an instant and became deeply trapped inside.

“Ha, ugh…”

Dahlia, who had been gasping for breath, looked up with wet, puzzled eyes.

Just a moment ago, she had wanted to escape from this heat. But now that Hissin had stopped, a sense of urgency and emptiness washed over her.

“Whew…”

Hissin exhaled softly and sat up. Unlike her, who was completely disheveled, his eyes were eerily calm.

However, the rough breaths escaping his parted lips hinted that he too had forcibly cut off his excitement.

“I hope Your Highness will wait for that day.”

Hissin smiled gently and helped Dahlia up. Her legs felt weak, and her undergarments were uncomfortably damp, making it difficult to stand.

Hissin firmly supported the staggering Dahlia and raised her hand. Then, he kissed the back of her white hand.

‘No.’

Even in this situation, Dahlia tensed, wondering if he was directing a gesture meant for the goddess toward her again. She felt the lips touching the back of her hand, tracing a delicate arc.

He made a soft ‘chu’ sound, leaving only a light kiss.

“Your Highness won’t be able to leave me.”

The red eyes beneath his lowered eyelids were entirely focused on Dahlia.

“Just as I cannot leave you.”

It felt as if an invisible string was binding her, making it hard to move. Like a child experiencing something for the first time, she had no idea how to react.

Was it because her mind was too chaotic to function properly? 

Or was it because she felt ashamed, feeling violated by Hissin despite there being no visible mark?

While she wandered, unable to find an answer, Hissin kissed her forehead once more and personally placed the veil he had removed back over her face.

“May the goddess Nuit be with Her Highness the Princess on this night.”

Then, he prayed for the goddess’s grace on her behalf. Despite having shamelessly coveted her body beneath the statue of the goddess.

Creak, thud—

The heavy iron doors of the temple closed behind her. Dahlia turned around, her face half-dazed. Hissin gave her a soft smile before turning away.

As she blankly watched his retreating figure, a burning thirst suddenly arose. She absentmindedly touched her neck, but the source of the thirst felt oddly different.

Dahlia slowly lowered her hand. Her sliding hand stopped over her chest. A hollow emptiness seemed to emanate from within.

Only then did Dahlia realize the true name of this thirst.

It was regret.

The regret of not being able to feel Hissin’s body more, the heat that had built up from that lewd act but ultimately lost its way and remained unresolved.

Dahlia slightly trembled her eyes and clenched her fist.

It was as if a feather from a fallen angel’s wing had pierced her heart.

✨

Dahlia stared blankly out the window. 

At a glance, it seemed like she was merely gazing at the scenery of the imperial palace and the capital, but her eyes were fixed on the temple.

It had been ten days since she last saw Hissin. For ten days, not a single wisp of cloud appeared in the sky, and because of that, Dahlia hadn’t stepped outside the empress’s palace for the entire ten days.

‘This used to be my normal routine…’

Perhaps it was because she had been going out frequently lately. Ten days felt like an entire year.

Was that all? The vast empress’s palace, which once felt desolate, now felt unbearably small. 

The bedroom, which she once thought was too large for sleeping, now felt suffocating, and the unused parlor only deepened her loneliness.

Even Hovan’s visits, which always filled her intellectual desires, somehow didn’t bring her as much joy as before. 

Sitting quietly and reading a book, she felt an inexplicable heaviness and found herself sighing without realizing it.

It felt as if some unresolved longing was piling up heavily inside her.

“Sigh…”

After staring at the unchanging temple like a painting for a while, Dahlia let out a long sigh, feeling stifled once again.

Even as she brushed her hand down her chest, the suffocating feeling didn’t easily go away. 

‘Is this how it feels to swallow a rock?’ 

Dahlia swallowed an unnamed emotion and averted her gaze from the window.

The quiet peace felt strangely unfamiliar. Time without anything happening was so boring.

‘That blood he took… wasn’t it for immediate use?’

Dahlia was startled by the thought that had unconsciously come to her. Waiting for Saltar to use the blood was no different from willingly walking into hell herself.

Nevertheless, Dahlia found herself dissatisfied with the pale state of her skin.

‘If the price of blood doesn’t come due, then I have no reason to go see Hissin…’

As the reason for her rising desire finally surfaced, Dahlia covered her face with both hands.

“…What’s wrong with my head?”

‘Is this what Hovan meant by the devil’s temptation?’ 

Once she had committed a sin, all her thoughts seemed to flow in that direction.

If she let her guard down even for a moment, she remembered Hissin kissing her.

And it wasn’t just the kiss that came to mind. She remembered the warm, wet tongue that explored her mouth, the hand that gripped her heaving chest, and his firm body pressing against her secret, intimate parts.

[If red spots appear on Your Highness again next time, I will erase your pain like this.]

And the low, husky voice that whispered in her ear.

Once again, a hot liquid pooled between her legs. 

Just the imagination was enough to make her body heat up, and Dahlia tightly shut her eyes, desperately trying to erase Hissin from her mind.

She dusted off the table, but Bertha had already polished it to a shine, so nothing came off. She flipped through the books that filled the room from floor to ceiling, but nothing caught her eye.

Moreover, the more she tried to erase her thoughts, the clearer they became. 

In her imagination, Hissin’s lips, which had been exploring her breath, were now on her chest, and the hand that had gripped her buttocks was sliding into a deep crevice.

Enough to enter her right then and there.

“Ah! Dahlia, please… don’t do this.”

Dahlia, who had been pleading with herself, covered her flushed face and gazed at the distant sky.

What she had done in the sacred temple was already an unforgivable sin, and yet, instead of repenting, she was indulging in even more sinful thoughts.

Was I always this lascivious? Did the goddess punish me because she knew how impure I was?

The deeper her thoughts went, the more Dahlia fell into self-loathing.

“Your Highness, Priest Hovan has arrived.”

Just then, Bertha announced Hovan’s visit. 

Startled as if caught in the act of sinning, Dahlia glanced between her room, which had nothing to hide, and her own body, unsure of what to do.

“Your Highness?”

When there was no response, Bertha called out in confusion. 

Dahlia, snapping out of her daze, opened the door herself. The sudden opening of the door revealed the surprised faces of Bertha and Hovan.

“I’m sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment…”

There was no connection between being lost in thought and the princess opening the door herself, but her flustered mind blurted out whatever came to it.

Fortunately, Hovan entered without suspicion. 

Dahlia, swallowing her relief, guided him to the table.

“Have you been well?”

Hovan subtly expressed concern about whether the price of blood had come due. Dahlia’s hand, lifting the teacup, twitched.

“No!”

Especially since she had just been thinking about the red spots and Hissin. Dahlia, already feeling a tingling in her feet, unintentionally raised her voice. 

Hovan’s surprised eyes turned towards her.

Dahlia awkwardly smiled and quickly added, “Ah… I mean, I’m fine. Everything’s okay.”

Hovan stared intently at Dahlia. Having missed the chance to avert her gaze, Dahlia tried to compose herself as she looked back at him.

Hovan’s eyes seemed to pierce through her, making her feel as if he would soon uncover everything that had happened.

If he found out about what she had done with Hissin in the temple—not just once, but multiple times—Hovan would never let it slide.

Dahlia, blinking rapidly, suddenly noticed soldiers moving outside the window. 

The number of soldiers patrolling the palace had significantly increased over the past two days.

She hastily shifted the topic in that direction.

“Come to think of it, it’s been quite noisy outside lately. Has something happened?”

Fortunately, it seemed to be a good distraction, as Hovan averted his gaze and spoke with a serious expression.

“The Moon’s Messengers have appeared again.”

The response to her diversion was not a pleasant one.