Chapter 12
Startled, I turned toward Raphael, only to find that the back of his neck had somehow turned bright red.
“Are you seriously some kind of b-beast?”
“What?”
“What kind of filthy move are you pulling on the Commander?!”
Following Raphael’s gaze, I finally noticed.
“…Huh?”
Arle had gone completely pale and rigid while holding his breath, to the point that I wondered if he’d fainted with his eyes open.
“……”
Arle’s lips trembled.
Then he squeezed his eyes tightly shut, and as though even that weren’t enough, he bit down hard on his lower lip.
His already fair skin had gone deathly pale, yet the tips of his ears were absurdly red.
Only then did I realize what I’d done.
Apparently, I’d committed an enormous discourtesy against a man who had guarded his chastity as dearly as his own life.
‘What do I do!’
I hurriedly let go of his hand, and Arle’s eyelids lifted as well.
His long eyelashes were damp.
His wide green eyes were filled with moisture too.
“Ah…”
The instant our gazes met, Arle’s pale green eyes shook violently.
He drew a sharp breath through his bitten lips and stepped back several paces.
Behind him, the wooden swords and spears embedded in the ground suddenly began shooting upward.
Raphael, his arms crossed, followed them with his gaze.
“At this rate, they’ll pierce the clouds.”
Before, they had merely floated above our heads. Now, they had soared far beyond the roof of the building.
The unfamiliar power was bursting out wildly as Arle lost his composure.
‘What am I going to do?’
It was obvious just how badly shaken Arle was.
I decided to apologize first.
“I’m truly sorry, Commander. I was trying to check whether your power might transfer to another person through physical contact…”
“……”
“It was my mistake.”
The former was a lie, but the latter was completely sincere.
I had made an error in judgment. Even if Arle had taken a vow of chastity, I hadn’t expected a grown man to be this innocent.
“Huh? Was it really a mistake?”
Raphael snorted.
“It really was.”
“Your fingers were practically slithering into the Commander’s like a snake.”
“…My hand was sweaty, so it slipped.”
“And you interlaced your fingers with his in case it slipped even more?”
“…That’s!”
Just as my lips parted at Raphael’s mocking remark.
“Enough.”
Arle slowly closed his eyes, then opened them again.
“It would be best to end this discussion here.”
He looked as though merely listening to our conversation was painful.
Arle drew in a deep breath.
As though trying to regain his composure, he lowered his gaze.
Then the wooden swords and spears that had been soaring endlessly upward gradually descended to the ground and settled neatly inside their rack.
‘Amazing.’
Even the speed at which he learned to control his power was extraordinary.
In an instant, Arle had put the face of the ‘Commander’ back on, and his unwavering gaze turned toward me.
“You said it was a mistake, so I will believe you, Reverend Sister.”
It was impossible to imagine that this was the same man whose ears had been red enough to make him look ready to cry just moments ago.
“However, I have taken a vow of chastity.”
“……”
“I was taught that pressing my skin against someone of the opposite s*x is inappropriate in any form. Please refrain from making such contact again.”
“…Yes. I’ll do that.”
I nodded, but inside, my thoughts were burning themselves into a tangled mess.
If he acted like the world had ended over something as minor as holding hands, how was I supposed to guide him?
‘This is bad.’
After imagining several possible situations for a moment, I cautiously spoke.
“Um, I’m only asking out of curiosity. What if you could only preserve your life by breaking your vow of chastity?”
Arle’s gaze quietly shifted toward me.
He answered without even a moment of hesitation.
“I would choose not to preserve it.”
“Even if you’d really die?”
“I do not believe my life is worth that much.”
His voice was resolute.
‘What do you mean your life isn’t worth that much? That’s way too harsh.’
Apparently, excessive devotion could be a problem too.
As I stood there at a loss for words, I felt a sharp gaze boring into me from somewhere.
It was Raphael.
“Hey, nun. What kind of nonsense are you trying to pull now?”
“N-Nonsense?!”
“If you’re not planning to pounce on the Commander, why would you ask something like that?”
By now, he was openly looking at me as though I were some filthy beast.
Seeing him subtly edge backward as though trying to avoid me made indignation surge inside me.
“I’m not!”
…Though technically, he was half right.
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