CH 7

When she recalled her first menstruation, she couldn’t help but think of what happened at the end of her first period.

She was lying down rubbing her stomach, trying to ease the unfamiliar abdominal pain, when she heard voices of guests coming from the entrance of the temple. 

Isabelle raised herself up and was astonished to see who had come. 

What is Father Matteo doing here? No, why now…

It was uncomfortable to think that the situation coincidentally overlapped. Father Matteo used to visit her once a month and look at her with an unpleasant gaze.

Today was against the cycle. She felt nauseous when she thought it might be because her first period came.

No way. What does his visits have to do with me being able to have children?

In the capital, Father Matteo stayed at the Imperial Palace of Pilsburg. Father Matteo was, of course, pro-emperor.

The reason that the Pilsburg Imperial Family gave the upper hand to Cardiego was because the position was precious and there were no successors…

She once heard a blunt explanation. The current Emperor, Pauls XI, had no sons, so his younger brother was crowned as Pauls XII. However, Pauls XII and the Empress died shortly thereafter without any successors. The retired Pauls XI was called back to the throne due to his younger brother and his wife’s premature death.

An unstable family crossed her mind. Perhaps Father Matteo had been waiting for her first menstruation. When she thought about them as a dirty family, it gave her something to chew on.

No. Would you let anyone have the Emperor’s blood? No matter how clean I grew up in the temple…

Isabelle was grateful that she was not from such a precious family to be sold for lineage. 

Fortunately, Father Matteo did not intrude into the attic. St. Maria and the other saints sent him back for various reasons.

The distraught Isabelle fiddled with the jewels of her necklace, tried some magic tricks, then decided to read a book.

As she looked around, she noticed a book that caught her attention a few days ago.

<The Lady Is Not Lonely At Night>

How could she not spend the night alone?

As soon as she opened the book with enthusiasm and anticipation, Isabelle’s jaw dropped.  

The characters displayed all over the page were not wearing a stitch of clothing. The human bodies that were gently intertwined were vividly depicted.

The passionate feelings of men and women who desire each other’s bodies, words of love and hatred, were all fused into one book. 

Is this why you don’t feel lonely at night?

It was an eye opening moment and showed her a whole new world. 

Meanwhile, when it came to love, it’s spiritual.

Physical love was a shock to her, who had regarded love only as a spiritual thing or as the teaching of the goddess Isis.

Isabelle went down to the first floor and rummaged through other books. There were a few more books with similar covers and content.

For the next week, Isabelle fell in love with reading behind the saints’ back. She was always stuck in the attic, pretending to be hurt and ill.

It was the same for that day. Isabelle sat on the steps and read the adult romantic novel <The Knight’s Desperate Persuasion Method>.

By the time she was around halfway through <I’m Doing This Because I Love You>, which she got from downstairs in advance, her vision suddenly became blurry.

“Uh…?”

She thought she’d get better over time, so she took a nap, but when she woke up she couldn’t see at all.

She’s doomed. Isabelle had a hunch that she had Blydane’s disease. 

I’ve definitely only read the books that were cleaned, so what’s wrong?

When she screamed as hard as she could, the saints ran over and sighed. She didn’t have to see to tell it was St. Maria who touched her head.

“I wonder why you suddenly have Blydane’s disease. Did you find and read books that weren’t sanitized yet?”

“I carefully selected books to read from among the books that were completely purified…”

“But other than that, there’s no reason for you to get Blydane’s.”

“That’s true, but…”

“Isabelle. This is the temple that serves Isis. You’re being punished for reading such obscene books.”

Isabelle was more shy and embarrassed than afraid of being scolded. She was grateful that she couldn’t see how pathetically the saints looked at her.

“But the saints don’t tell me these things, and it’s fun…”

The saints didn’t give any answers. Isabelle took the medicine they gave her and laid down again for a nap.

It was getting to a really interesting part too….

She woke up to a knock on the door as her regret remained. 

“It’s me, Isabelle. Can I come in for a second? I’ve spoken to St. Maria.”

Isabelle, who figured out who the visitor was just by his voice, wanted to hide in a rat hole. The last meeting was only yesterday, but Riggs was here again.

“Riggs, what happened the other day…”

“Not that way, you idiot.”

As she tried to explain with a gesture, Riggs’s voice was heard from behind her. Her vision was still dark. She clearly felt him as he hugged her body from behind.

His arms were crossed over her belly. She was normally the one to hug him, and always while facing him, so this was a very unfamiliar feeling. 

Isabelle thought Riggs’ arms were so wide, hugging her from behind. She thought he could embrace a lot more even though he was only one year older.

A heavy, hot breath reflexively gave her goosebumps. It was weird feeling just his breath, but Riggs added in with a low voice.

“Open your mouth.”

“…mouth?”

“Yes, I brought something for you.”

Isabelle, who usually eats the food that Riggs brings, opened her lips without much doubt.

A small fruit came into her mouth. When she chewed, it tasted sweet and sour. It stabbed the tip of her tongue, then it went away in a blink of an eye. It was a unique texture. 

Isabelle blinked her eyes. She still couldn’t see completely, but it improved a lot. The pain in her back, which had been unbearable, disappeared.

Now that she could see, she was about to shout, but Riggs apologised in a low voice.

“I didn’t know why you were sick. I’m sorry.”

“That’s not something you should apologize for.”

“…I thought I knew all about you, more than anyone else. Even more than St. Maria who raised you.”

At a glance, she could see Riggs’ face turning red. It was evident that the weak-hearted baby deer was once again in distress. Isabelle said with gratitude.

“No, it’s okay. You even healed my eyes. What fruit is this?”

“…you got better after eating it? Then it wouldn’t be Blydane’s disease.”

“That’s not the point right now, Riggs. Now that my eyes are better, I have something to do. Do you want to see it with me?”

Isabelle pulled out <I’m Doing This Because I Love You.>, which she had hidden under the covers. After seeing the book, where even the cover was scandalous, Riggs jumped.

“You’re going to look at this with me right now? With me, as a man?”

“What are you saying? Riggs is a friend.”

Riggs let Isabelle go from his arms. He was more emotional now than when she was blind.

Isabelle opened the book to the part she was reading and extended it to Riggs. He didn’t like it when he saw her take it out. He closed his eyes tightly and stepped back.

“Are you sure you don’t want to see it? It’s so much fun.”

“I’m not looking. Really. If you’re going to read it, read it alone.”

He had a truly angry voice and face. Only then did Isabelle let Riggs go. Like what she told Ravi a long time ago, Riggs seemed to have no interest in relationships between men and women.

***

There have been several incidents, but what occurred when they were swimming last year convinced Isabelle that Riggs had no sexual desire, therefore they could maintain a healthy and strong friendship for life.

It was the summer when Isabelle was nineteen. The capital city of Pilsburg got consecutive heat waves; it was a record breaking event. People said the unbearable heat was evidence that Pilsburg was abandoned by the goddess Isis.

Even in the Cardiego Duchy, which takes more than four days to travel to the capital by carriage, news of casualties caused by the heat had been heard.

It was mainly elderly people who were tamed by the cool climate of the Duchy and could not adapt to the heat that suffered. 

Of course, being young didn’t mean that the heat wasn’t a problem. As a nineteen-year-old, Isabelle lifted her hair up and fanned the back of her neck, throwing her day away. 

Isabelle’s cheeks, which used to be peachy, were hot enough to burst any minute. Riggs looked pitifully at her.

“Isabelle, is it that hot?”

“You don’t get affected by the heat. I feel like I’m going to faint because it is so hot.”

Riggs stopped Isabelle from trying to lie down on his lap. He has been gently avoiding being her pillow since he was fifteen years old, and now that he is twenty years old, she couldn’t even touch his body. 

Riggs’s skin was on the cold side, but it was useless now that it couldn’t be reached. Isabelle felt sorry for herself and internally gave herself a hug.

“Riggs, can we go to the valley later? Are you busy today?”

“I’m not busy… Do you want to come with me?”

Before she knew it, his hand was sweeping across her cheek. Isabelle put her hand over his and gave an evil smile.

“Of course. I don’t know why, but if I go with you, St. Maria will let me.”

“………”

“So it is decided, we’re going to the valley today.”

Isabelle leapt out of her seat as if she had been left behind then got permission.

Soon after, she showed up with a picnic basket, blankets, towels, and a bottle of worship wine that she snuck out.

“It’s very hot these days, so there’ll be a lot of people wherever we go, right?”

“I think we can go this way.”

Isabelle skillfully followed Riggs who was leading the way. After passing a few alleys, there was a space that seemed to be ready for a summer vacation.

The moonlight was bright, so she could see through the water even though it was night. When she took off her shoes and stepped on the smooth stones, she felt cool and ecstatic.

As expected, he knows the mountain well because he’s a baby deer. Good thing I took care of you.

Isabelle looked at Riggs with a smile of satisfaction. Her friend’s eyes shone like pomegranate seeds under the moonlight.

She stretched a few times and immediately got in the water. It didn’t occur to her that the water in the valley was as cool as the tropical nights were.

White and thin summer clothes clung to the flesh, but they were not as offensive as the scorching heat. Silver hair shook as if it were part of the moonlit valley. She kept laughing because she was in a good mood.

Riggs sat still on the ground, swallowing his saliva and hugging the basket. There was a brief sign of him hiding something.

I think I’m the only one enjoying it. Is Riggs afraid of water?

Feeling sorry, Isabelle quit swimming and stepped out of the water to have a chat with Riggs. Riggs leapt to his feet like a well-trained soldier as her upper body was exposed.

“I’ll get you a towel.”

“Towel, it’s in the basket…”

Riggs went into the bushes without giving a single glance. Isabelle again felt that he had no interest in her.