Luvia’s face slowly changed colour in rapid succession, from a slight pink to a hint of pale brown, before she tugged on Luka’s cuff.

"Hm?"

He tilted his head to the side, curious about what she wanted.

"What’s wrong with you suddenly?"

"C-Can we talk about this elsewhere... I’d rather not speak in front of everyone." She flicked her head and turned to both the knight and Levi, who overlooked the conversation with a stern gaze.

’Her hand is extremely warm...’

Luka could feel the thumping beat of her heart through her delicate skin, the slight heat and sweat increasing since the letter mentioned her being a priestess.

’Well, the Dark Order are a strange bunch...’

If not for his previous life, he would have no clue who those brain-dead, insane elves were who worshipped one of the many devils his father created.

Lucifer couldn’t understand why his father made the female devil extremely beautiful. Her role was to become one of the most vile and heartless creatures with the sole purpose of crushing the hope of mankind.

He gently squeezed the hand clutching at him.

Her subtle heat and the softness of her skin felt pleasant.

"Alright, let’s talk elsewhere."

"My Lord?" Levi seemed to have something to say to Luka.

However, he just raised his hand to the old man.

"Please see to it that the knight is treated to the best welcome, and given one of the spare rooms to rest. I will come speak with you later, Levi." Luka hesitated for a second before he glanced back and suddenly remembered something. "Levi... could you see to the other woman I came home with, the one sent to the temporary prison... Mildred?"

"Hmph, you ask so many things of this old man." Levi feigned to struggle with a bag before shaking his head with a sigh. "What will happen if I keel over in my old age?!"

"Don’t make trouble."

Luka didn’t entertain the old man’s annoying complaints.

He wasn’t the delicate young boy, and thus he wouldn’t show the same tolerance.

Old Levi could only watch as his new lord left the room, heading towards the tower while holding Luvia’s hand tightly.

...

The corridor leading towards the tower was quieter than the main hall, with only a few servants passing by with lowered heads. Luka didn’t slow his steps until they reached the narrow stairwell where the old stones curled upward like a broken spine.

’No one comes here unless they have something to hide.’

Luka knew this place from rumours. I was where servants met for a romantic tryst in the distant past, when he was younger.

However, it became unused and neglected afterwards.

Luvia followed with almost silent footsteps, her lips curled into a silky pout.

The dark elf usually complained or mutters vulgarly about whatever annoyed her. Yet now, she only stared at the back of his hand as if the warmth between their fingers was the only thing keeping her from losing her thoughts.

Her actions convinced Luka that his thoughts were completely on point.

Once they reached the small chamber near the middle of the tower, Luka opened the door and drew her inside.

"Come, follow me."

He tapped her hips on the way inside.

It was a simple room used for storing old maps and damaged banners. Dust clung to the corners, and a narrow window looked down over the manor yard. From here, he could see the fallen rider’s horse being checked by a groom, while the silver banner of House Alverain now stood tall beside the flag of Babylon.

Clack!

Luka closed the door.

"Speak."

He didn’t give her a chance to flee or avoid him, capturing her hands and pressing them against the wall above her head.

Luvia flinched slightly.

She likely never expected his sudden action, and yet... her cheeks flushed red.

He could feel warmth blowing down his chest as she started breathing more heavily.

"Tell me, what is the meaning of dark elves coming to collect you? If you knew this before, why didn’t you tell me?!"

"I don’t know...!"

She protested with a soft shout.

"Luvia!"

Luka wouldn’t accept her lies.

He knew the dark elves wouldn’t come to the human lands for no reason.

"I said I don’t know."

Her voice became sharper, but the heat in her palms only grew with the thunderous beating of her heart. She was clearly frightened or excited, but Luka couldn’t understand what caused such an extreme reaction.

Luka waited, while holding her in place.

The dust in the room drifted between them, caught in the thin line of light from the narrow window. Luvia’s chest rose and fell too quickly, her golden eyes shifting from his face to the wall beside him, then back again as if she wanted to bite him and hide against him at the same time.

"Answer me."

"I told you already!"

Her voice cracked with anger, yet the anger felt too thin to be real.

"I don’t know why they came. I don’t know why they used that title. I don’t know why they still want me after sending me away!"

"Then why did your face change when you heard it?"

Luvia gritted her teeth.

"Because it shouldn’t be possible."

"What shouldn’t?"

"The title!" She finally pushed back, her golden eyes shining as she panted.

Luka’s grip on her wrists tightened a little.

Luvia stared at him, her eyes trembling with something close to humiliation.

Yet she seemed so energetic.

"Among dark elves, the role of a priestess isn’t that of a pretty girl who prays and scatters flowers. It is a title given to a woman who can kill, betray and deceive anyone without breaking. Assassins, killers and even psychopaths! Those are the women they raise highest when their skills become useful enough."

The news was something Luka didn’t know.

He examined her face, a little confused, but then again, this was the woman who almost killed him on first meeting.

’Ah...’

It seemed that having sex with her had dulled his feelings and foresight on the matter.

"I had the title Apostle, because of that, I was treated badly, scorned by the dark elves who sought to serve the dark queen and feared by those who didn’t."

"Why wouldn’t they want to serve...?"

"Because those who serve the dark queen directly are complete psychopaths!"

’Wait, her Apostle title...’

He suddenly remembered that after their first meeting, she somehow gained the title of Apostle of Lucifer.

Luvia suddenly pulled against his hold, not hard enough to break free, only enough for her frustration to spill out.

"But that was before.... now my title has a name that I do not know! How can I serve the dark lady when I am the apostle of another... and a MAN at that!"

Her shout echoed through the dusty chamber.

She trembled before Luka pulled her into his embrace with a stern face.

Then her face turned bright red.

For several breaths, neither of them spoke, and the room remained silent. Luka stared down at her silver hair, unable to see her face.

’It’s my fault...’

The title she spoke of wasn’t something simple. It was not a rank given or written on a piece of paper by some foolish dark elf elder. It was something engraved deeper, carved into the body and soul. Thus, when she tried to kill him, Luvia ended up bound by something she couldn’t fully understand.

Luka’s arms tightened around her before he noticed.

Luvia stiffened for a moment, then slowly pressed her forehead against his chest.

"I don’t understand it," she whispered, her voice muffled. "I know I was chosen before, but because of that, most of them shunned me. They feared me because I was given such a grand title, but who the hell... Now it just feels wrong and false. If they realise it wasn’t a blessing from the Dark Queen but some strange male.... everything will collapse, and I will become hunted."

Now, when she spoke about her past and the reason for choosing to side with the goblins, it made a little more sense.

At first, she escaped to avoid the fanatics and psychopaths of the church, but after meeting him and becoming his apostle. There was no chance of returning; the dark elves clearly had the power to read someone’s status...

’But how...’

He couldn’t help but imagine the Dark Queen’s visage...

One of the weakest, yet most intelligent of the four devils.

"Master... what should I do?"

She looked up to him, her eyes watery and clear.

"If the dark elves came to collect their priestess, they are already too late."

Her breathing stopped.

He lowered his mouth near her ear, his voice calm and firm.

"Luvia, you already belong to me, from the moment you spread your legs in that forest, I marked you in the deepest and most delicate part of your body. Whatever name they place on you, none of it matters anymore."

Her hands trembled against his chest.

"But they won’t leave easily."

"Well, I am sure I can convince them to leave with some friendly words."

Luka released her wrists fully, then brushed his fingers through her silver hair until her breathing settled. The heat in her body still lingered at the tips of his fingers, but the panic had faded enough for her golden eyes to regain their sharpness.

#

"We won’t answer them yet."

"Then what will you do?"

"Amol lacks hands, and at the same time, Babylon has too many hungry people with nothing to do. So I plan to move many of the workers and those seeking work, along with food and carts, to the village entrance before sunset."

Luvia looked up at him.

"And me?"

"What else? You’ll stand where you belong... beside me."

"In front of everyone?"

"Yes."

Her lips curled faintly.

"In this outfit?"

Luka glanced down.

"Especially in that outfit."

"...Pervert."

Her cheeks shone dark red as his hands squeezed her delicate hips, lifting her onto the nearby wooden desk.

"Well, I can’t deny that..."

As his hands worked their way down her thighs, she slowly became more accustomed, spreading her thighs and allowing him to slip between them.

"Y-You better not think I do this for just anyone..."

Her pretty eyes narrowed into thin slits as she turned away.

He found the way she expressed herself with her eyes and lips far too alluring.

"Well, shall I have a taste and see?"

"——What!?"