From the beginning, the Goddess herself had enjoyed hand-feeding Rou, so Rou had no resistance whatsoever to receiving food by hand. However, Lillian, who had no way of knowing this, was startled. She was certain the High Priest’s lips had touched her fingertips.
When Rou licked the dark red syrup that clung to the corners of his lips, both women drew in sharp breaths.
“Huk.”
“Huok.”
The black cherries had been pitted and simmered, so the sweetness had thoroughly permeated even the inside. At the end, cinnamon bark had been briefly added and then removed, so when swallowing the fruit, a refreshing fragrance bloomed. Rou was so absorbed in savoring the aftertaste that he failed to notice what expressions the two women were wearing.
“High Priest. There are countless flowers in the world, but among them, I believe lilies and roses are the best.”
“Mm.”
Rou didn’t particularly agree with that opinion, but he wasn’t so harsh-natured as to dismiss the tastes of humans who hadn’t even lived fifty years, so he nodded appropriately in acknowledgment.
“By any chance, between those two flowers, which do you prefer, High Priest?”
The women thought the High Priest would have fully grasped their intentions. No matter how oblivious a human might be, they would at least realize this wasn’t really about flowers.
However, there was one thing the two women had overlooked. Namely, that their companion wasn’t human. Rou was a dull, dull-as-can-be bumblebee who had even belatedly noticed Brukisel’s blatant hatred. There was no way such a person could pick up on the subtle language the noble young ladies were dropping.
Rou pondered for a moment. His words weren’t gospel truth, and there existed enough diverse flowers in the world to satisfy every human’s taste. However, since the two young humans were waiting for Rou’s answer with sparkling eyes, Rou opened his mouth with a slight sense of burden.
“All flowers hide sweet nectar deep within. Only their fragrance and taste differ, don’t they?”
“Of course, but if there were a lily and a rose right before your eyes, which would you choose?”
“…Is this a situation where I must choose?”
Both women nodded silently. Rou opened his mouth with difficulty, as if he had no choice. Somehow nervous, the two women waited for Rou’s choice with trembling hearts.
“Lilies appear white, clean, and immaculate to the eye, but in truth, they want to brazenly seduce bees. Freely, at that.”
“……”
“On the other hand, roses are splendid, but they hide their true charm within. They only let you smell their real fragrance after you push through the layers upon layers of petals wrapped around them.”
“……”
The two women were shocked by Rou’s direct words. What Rou said was true.
Lillian’s family forced chastity upon her, and as a result, Lillian had dozens of white dresses tailored every social season. It had been a long time since white had gone from being her favorite color to feeling like a prison enclosing her. The secret fact that only her family’s maids knew was that she secretly enjoyed transgressions to escape those invisible bars.
Rosaria’s situation was similar. Born with a voluptuous figure, she had always lived a splendid life drawing others’ gazes. However, those who praised her to her face would often mock her behind her back, saying her attire was vulgar. She was waiting for someone who would someday listen to the story contained within, not her outward appearance.
Once their shocked hearts settled, the two women exchanged glances. The High Priest was a human with properly-planted thoughts for once. She didn’t know if someone excessively beautiful was appropriate as a husband, but as a lover, he was someone they couldn’t let slip away.
“…If it’s difficult for you to choose between the two, at least tell us your preference.”
“That’s right. Since you’re someone who serves Goddess Kaine, wouldn’t you prefer the voluptuous side?”
“Since the High Priest himself has slender lines, wouldn’t a delicate type suit you better?”
Rou blinked his large eyes, unable to follow the conversation. Until just now, they had definitely been talking about flowers. He couldn’t fathom why the conversation had veered in this direction. Rou was extremely flustered, but thinking that human conversations changed topics as frequently as their short lifespans, he calmly asked back.
“Are you asking about the physique I consider ideal?”
Both women’s heads moved simultaneously. Rou tended to answer sincerely within the scope of questions asked, and this time was no different.
Rou turned his head to look at the throne. Brukisel was no longer there, but he still vividly remembered what posture he had been sitting in.
Rou retraced the afterimage of his memory and imagined Brukisel’s magnificent physique. Thanks to his absence, Rou could freely envision the ideal body he had in mind.
Brukisel’s firm-looking shoulders and arms were clearly created through long training. Moreover, though he had handsome eyes when examined one by one, perhaps because of his nose bridge and lips that rarely smiled—just standing still naturally created a cool yet strong atmosphere.
‘If only I could live in his body for just one day.’
Then Rou would first seek out the bumblebee’s most powerful enemy—wasps. Those bastards who didn’t make honey but stole honey others made and left hives in ruins were no different from the honey thief Dilte.
If he became as strong as Brukisel, dealing with wasps would be no trouble at all.
Watching his form, Rou began to name the points he found ideal one by one.
“Rather than delicate, I’d prefer muscular.”
At Rou’s statement, Lillian despaired while Rosaria brightened as if she’d seized an opportunity. However, before Rosaria could slyly place her hand on the High Priest’s shoulder, completely unexpected words flowed from those pretty pink lips.
“I’d like broad and strong shoulders. Ah! Strong enough to beat down a brown bear! I’d like thighs as thick as tree trunks, and palms as hard as iron plates. It would be good to have the stamina to go from here to the south in one go.”
“……”
“……”
“Also, strong enough to lift me up repeatedly. And I’d like well-balanced, sturdy abs that would keep the back fine even when sitting in the same position for a long time.”
The High Priest’s tastes were quite unique.
Moreover, he’d been glancing somewhere from earlier. Following that gaze, there was the empty throne. Since it was hard to think the High Priest was looking at it while imagining the Emperor, the women found it difficult to manage their expressions.
The women who had been pressed closely to both of Rou’s arms both moved away a little. Whether he was saying this to escape from a predicament or truly stating his preferences was unclear, but one thing was certain.
Honey traps would never work on this High Priest.
Well, it was only natural. When he looked at that face in the mirror every day, they wondered if he could truly think anyone else beautiful.
The young ladies’ plan to take the High Priest as a lover and profit from that power was completely ruined. To become the protagonist on ‘the day when the sun is most intense,’ it seemed they would have to compete fair and square with their abilities.
“We understand the High Priest’s intentions well. Please listen to our songs and judge who is suitable for that position.”
“Huh?”
Rosaria was about to suggest they decide the order of who would sing first. However, at that moment, a high-pitched melody flowed from Lillian’s mouth. Her tone, resembling the thinnest, finest string of a harp, was clear and plain.
Rosaria was dumbfounded. Thinking she couldn’t lose, she arbitrarily began singing even though Lillian’s song hadn’t ended. Rosaria’s powerful and strong voice resonated grandly, combined with the technique she possessed.
‘Right. Jes definitely said candidates to sing at first. They came to me to judge who was better between the two.’
Though he couldn’t quite understand what the preceding conversation meant, regardless of how the process went, Rou had arrived at the correct conclusion in the end.
“What do you think?”
“Whose song do you think would suit the banquet better?”
“Hmm.”
Rou met two pairs of sparkling eyes. Though both had excellent singing skills, honestly speaking, they weren’t particularly moving to Rou’s ears after living five hundred years. Having listened to hundreds of hymns several times a day, Rou’s standards were high.
Both seemed to need areas for improvement. No, rather……
“How about singing together?”
“Pardon?”
“B-but. This piece was composed to be sung solo……”
“That can be fixed by revising the sheet music. Do you have it with you now?”
Lillian signaled to her maid in the distance. Sheet music with worn and frayed corners appeared. Rou picked up a quill and began revising the sheet music without hesitation. After listening to hymns for about five hundred years, he had learned experientially how to build harmonies to be most grand and beautiful.
“How about it? Practice together once and let me know if there are any difficult parts.”
“Ah, yes……”
“Thank you……”
The two women received the sheet music in a daze. They knew the High Priest was erudite, but this was the first time they learned he was also deeply versed in music.
Lillian and Rosaria glanced at each other. Becoming the protagonist of ‘the day when the sun is most intense’ was a glorious thing. But at the same time, if they lost that position, it would be a great loss. Rather than lose it, sharing might be the wiser choice.
Lillian and Rosaria simultaneously extended their hands toward each other. Without a word, the two women grasped each other’s hands and shook them twice. Then they let go simultaneously.
Rou watched this and smiled brightly. And.
‘The two of them are really close. It would have been terrible if I’d chosen just one of them.’
He thought, which was, in a way, half correct.
