Chapter 79

“Promise?”

The priest’s tone was one of surprise. “Of course, I’m willing to
promise my loyalty, but would you, Your Highness, believe my promise?”

Randes wanted to say something sweet to court him, but he couldn’t. He
didn’t want to court him with words, either. He didn’t want to fall into the
cunning priest’s hands like a ripe fruit. He swore that if he dared to show any
timid affection, the priest would immediately trample on him. He hardened his
heart, saying nothing, just breathing heavily, his palm hot as it caressed the
priest’s soft cheek.

The priest seemed to realize something gradually. He parted his lips
slightly, looking somewhat surprised. “Your Highness…”

Randes kissed him directly. He didn’t want to hear the priest’s assent or
refusal either. To be precise, he feared interactive emotions.

This was the first time Randes made such an intimate move to kiss someone’s
lips. He sealed the priest’s mouth. The priest was about to say something, his
mouth open, just in time for the prince’s tongue to thrust in.

The prince seemed extremely excited. The heat and force of the kiss were
astonishing, revealing his insatiable hunger for the priest. But he couldn’t
care less; the priest’s lips were so soft, and his tongue was like melting
cheese. The prince hadn’t had dinner; he came with an empty stomach, wanting to
devour the priest whole.

The last bit of candlelight was extinguished, plunging the entire cabin into
darkness, and intensifying the prince’s rising lust. He reached out and
embraced the priest!

The priest’s waist was as slender as he had imagined, and his body hidden
under the black robe was indeed enticing.

The prince’s strong arms lifted the priest and placed him on the dining
table. The wooden table made a “thud” sound, and the friction between
their clothes was embarrassingly loud. Not to mention the prince’s lion-like
passionate, and yearning kiss, which was full of desire and longing.

The dark cabin instantly turned into a sea of burning passion.

The prince’s hands roamed the priest’s body wildly, truly indecent. The
priest finally seemed to react, reaching out to push the prince’s hands away,
his palm pressing against the prince’s muscular chest. The thin fabric couldn’t
block the heat emanating from the prince’s body. Some once fiery memories
flashed in the priest’s mind, making his resistance a bit hesitant.

The prince didn’t notice this. He was engrossed in the pleasure of kissing
the priest, his hand caressing the back of the priest’s neck, trying to slip
his hand under the tightly fastened collar. The priest had wrapped himself too
tightly, revealing nothing, which only intensified the prince’s dark desires,
longing to touch even a bit more of his beautiful skin.

Honestly, the priest was somewhat frightened by the prince’s fiery passion.

He wasn’t surprised that the prince was attracted to him—that was natural.
However, the prince’s love came on so fiercely, without warning, like a
wildfire, seemingly about to strip him bare right here…

“Father—”

A voice calling from outside seriously reminded the priest that this was
definitely not a good place to indulge in such pleasures. He grabbed the
prince’s shirt and pushed him away, tilting his head back to avoid Randes’
vampiric kiss.

“Father, are you there? The water is ready.”

Bunier’s voice was filled with curiosity. He knocked on the door, making the
not-so-sturdy wooden door rattle loudly.

The prince also heard the annoying sound and finally released his lips. In
the darkness, his eyes were as sharp as a beast’s, staring at the priest,
breathless as he commanded, “Send him away.”

The priest’s breathing was also chaotic. He clutched the prince’s shirt, the
embroidery pricking his hand. He lowered his voice, saying, “Your
Highness, please let go of me.”

Though the words were polite, the tone was extremely cold, carrying a clear
note of rejection that made Randes’ rapid breathing pause for a moment.

“Bunier, please wait,” the priest called out, “I’ll be right
there to open the door.”

After saying this, the priest pushed the prince hard again. “Your
Highness, if you still want to maintain basic decency in front of everyone,
please get off me immediately and don’t do anything disgraceful.”

It was like a bucket of cold water poured over him. The prince’s raging fire
of desire was instantly quenched.

The priest’s rejection was even more disappointing than the prince had
imagined.

Unconsciously, the prince’s grip loosened a bit. His expression was
extremely unpleasant, but fortunately, it was dark, and the priest couldn’t see
it. He didn’t have to see his face reflected in the priest’s lake-green eyes,
revealing his failed attempt at courtship.

Oh, courtship. Wait, he hadn’t actually confessed his love. He hadn’t said
he had fallen for him, so this couldn’t be considered a failed courtship. Thank
God, this was the only bit of rationality left in his dizzy mind.

The prince’s arms tightened again. He maintained his dignity, his tone
sounding downright righteous, “It’s not over yet.”

Randes let go of the priest, believing he appeared very composed, with no
hint of defeat. The priest climbed down from the table, straightening the
wrinkled corners of his robe. The prince did not straighten his clothes. He
turned and walked away, but was gently called back by the priest, “Your
Highness, your cane.”

Bunier patiently waited at the door with the hot water. When the cabin door
opened, it was too dark inside. Bunier called, “Father…”

But it wasn’t the priest who came out.

“Your Highness.”

Bunier gasped.

The prince looked very unhappy. His somewhat eerie face was clearly
experiencing some kind of frustrating disappointment. His eyes were filled with
anger. Leaning on his cane, he left without a word.

Bunier entered the cabin, puzzled. “Father, what’s wrong with His
Highness? Did he come to talk about the baptism? Did you have a
disagreement?”

“We didn’t have any disagreement. His Highness’s temper is always so
impatient.”

Bunier set down the hot water in the dark and said, “That’s good. I
believe His Highness is actually a gentleman of high moral character.”

The candles in the cabin were already out, and the priest didn’t need light,
so the frugal Bunier didn’t light another one. Otherwise, he would have clearly
seen the priest’s swollen lips and flushed face and then reconsidered his
opinion of the prince’s character.

The priest remained calm and said, “Yes, I believe so too.”

Bunier left and closed the door.

After the wooden door shut, Mo Yin sat for a while longer, ensuring that the
proud prince wouldn’t return tonight after being thwarted. He then began to
remove his clerical robe.

The conditions here weren’t ideal. The priest stood naked on the wooden
floor, pouring water over himself. The hot water slightly cooled the other kind
of heat within his body.

The prince was infatuated with him.

The priest’s face didn’t show any smugness, only a faint smile of
satisfaction.

In winning hearts, he was getting better and better.

As for the prince’s fiery passion, it had given him a slightly different
experience.

He was fascinated by him, irresistibly fascinated.

As the water flowed over his body, Mo Yin recalled every word and action of
the prince during their earlier encounter. Perhaps not being able to see gave
the prince a chance to disguise his emotions, allowing him to feign a semblance
of calm.

In reality, he was already going mad for him.

Mo Yin couldn’t help but laugh.

When did it start? He thought for a moment perhaps it was when he revealed
their matching ambitions that the prince was bewitched at that very moment…

Poor prince.

Mo Yin gently wiped the water from his body. He could feel his smooth skin
and straight legs. This should be a very fine body.

Thus, his new game was about to begin.

*

The prince had never regretted anything so much in his life—not his
uncontrollable desire and the subsequent actions, but the regret of choosing
the wrong moment. Not achieving this in one go was a colossal mistake!

How could he have been so impulsive and reckless, like a young boy?

He knew how to hunt and farm, had knowledge of the military, art, and
literature, but he didn’t know how to win someone’s heart. The prince was both
troubled and angry, unsure of what to do. He tossed and turned all night,
pondering what the priest would think of his sudden actions and how the priest
would respond. He kept thinking until dawn.

The dim daylight filtered through the cracks in the wooden cabin. Randes’
face was grim. He had to get up. Today was a crucial moment. He had to act
nonchalantly, showing no signs of guilt or shame before the priest. Instead, he
had to be extra righteous, or the shrewd priest would surely sense something
was amiss.

The priest and the monks, along with some young men, were distributing food
to the patients. The food was freshly delivered, brought by the captain of the
guards, who personally oversaw the transfer of food over the fence. The captain
engaged in a respectful conversation with the priest, praising his calm and
graceful demeanor despite his young age. The priest offered a prayer for the
captain, who then kissed the priest’s hand through the fence, thanking him for
his service to the people and the prince.

The prince observed this scene from a distance for a moment before
approaching. It had been about a week since he last greeted the priest.

The priest, upon hearing his voice, turned slightly and nodded subtly. “Good
morning, Your Highness.”

His tone was truly indifferent, and the prince found himself somewhat
annoyed. However, since the priest acted as if nothing had happened, he
wouldn’t lose his composure either. “Did you sleep well last night? ”

“Excellently.”

The prince fell silent again, then suddenly, as if trying to regain the
upper hand, said, “We haven’t finished our discussion about the baptism.”

The priest’s expression finally changed slightly. He frowned—a rare sight,
as the priest usually maintained a calm and serene facade. This was the first
time the prince had seen him frown. Was this a victory for him? Yet, he didn’t
feel as pleased as he had expected.

“Your Highness,” the priest lowered his voice, “Do you realize you’re
engaging in despicable blackmail?”

The prince’s breath caught for a moment. He regained his familiar tone of
sarcasm. “Blackmail? Isn’t that what you did to me in your letter? I told you,
I just need a guarantee.”

“What kind of guarantee is this?”The priest asked, still frowning.

The prince felt the remaining desire in his body start to rise again because
the priest’s attitude suggested there was room for negotiation. He was
hesitating, or maybe deliberately teasing him. Whatever the case, there was
clearly a sliver of possibility.

Randes told himself to stay calm and not make any mistakes. He said
casually, “Or perhaps, Father, you’d prefer to leave me a finger or some other
unimportant part of your body. It’s your choice, but I need some kind of
proof.”

The priest remained silent, seemingly contemplating.

His serious consideration was intriguing. To think that this serene, saintly
face was weighing whether to accept a physical proposition from a man… Father,
Father, the pure and chaste priest, the ambitious priest, the beautiful and
alluring priest…

“I can give you time to consider,” Randes said, turning his face towards Brune,
who was joyfully entering the quarantine area through the open fence. He then
leaned close to the priest’s ear and whispered, “I trust you will make the
right choice.”