Chapter 16: Two Shrine Maidens

In no time at all, Nina and the female priests made me change into a white-colored priestess costume as well.

“Whoa! Cecilia, you look wonderful! It suits you very well!!”

“Really?”

“Yes! You look like a goddess!”

As she said this, Nina clasped her hands together and looked at me with an enraptured expression.

While I was a little taken aback by Nina’s behavior, the female priests who were standing behind her nodded their heads strongly and repeatedly agreed with Nina’s statement.

No, no, no, you ladies weren’t too enthusiastic about this until just now…

I looked at those female priests and smiled tentatively at them.

Then I left the changing room with a happy Nina, and Alexel, who was waiting for me, approached me.

However, while staring at me, Alexel was still and silent.

“……”

“Uh, please say something…it really doesn’t look good on me, does it?”

Then Alexel silently lifted the hem of the bright white veil I was wearing and then dropped a kiss on it.

“Huh!!”

“…It looks better than I thought it would.”

“Oh, thank you…”

“I’ll have some of the people of my country prepare you one just like it.”

“What?”

“I’m going to have you wear it just for me.”

“What!?”

I froze in surprise at Alexel’s words.

Seeing me, Alexel laughed happily.

***

When I walked into the ceremony room with Nina, led by the female priests, the priests who were already waiting there were shocked to see me.

And the priest who was standing in front of the altar at the back of the room was also wide-eyed and surprised.

Well that’s normal kind of reaction to have. I’d have the same reaction if I were in the opposite position.

As I smiled hesitantly at the people who were frozen at the sight of me, I noticed that Alexel, who had come in ahead of me to observe the ceremony, was smiling happily behind the priests, laughing lightly.

At that moment, the female priests who were leading us moved quickly and approached the bewildered priests and priestesses and spoke to them in a whisper.

Then the other priests and priestesses looked at me with pity.

It seems that the female priests explained what happened, but that look was very painful.

You can think whatever you want now…

My shoulders slumped in dismay, but I decided to stop worrying about it and took Nina’s hand and escorted her to the front of the priest, just as it had been explained to me beforehand.

The ceremony proceeded with the odd combination of the two priestesses’ outfits, with an indescribable expression on my face, as if I were walking down the aisle.

Even the bewildered priest, who had been puzzled at first, quickly switched to work mode and performed the ritual without difficulty.

My role was only to escort Nina, the Celestial Maiden, down to the priest, so for the rest of the time, I stood back and watched the ceremony quietly.

Just as I was about to finish the ceremony without any problems, a door suddenly opened and a hurried voice echoed throughout this room.

“Well! So this is the ceremony ritual! It’s very mysterious and wonderful!”

“Princess Victoria! We can’t let you come in without permission!”

“What? It was Prince Kaiser who said that the Celestial Maiden ceremony was taking place here, wasn’t it?”

“I said that, but I didn’t say you could come in.”

We were surprised at the arrival of Princess Victoria and Kaiser.

“It’s fine. But more importantly, how is the ceremony going?…I wish you would do it sooner.”

She began to look a little unhappy when she saw the priests looking her in a daze.

Then Nina approached Princess Victoria.

“Princess Victoria, I’m sorry, but I’ve just finished the ritual.”

“Oh, really? Then I’ll ask you to do it again.”

“…What?”

“Why do you look so dumbfounded? I’m telling you to do it, okay?”

“Princess Victoria I’d appreciate it if you didn’t make things too difficult for me.”

“Prince Kaiser, isn’t it fine? I haven’t seen it yet, you know. Right? Please.”

With that, Princess Victoria looked at Kaiser with a seductive smile.

However, Kaiser refused by shaking his head with a troubled expression, unmoved by her smile.

Then Alexel, with a disappointed look on his face, approached Princess Victoria.

“Victoria, don’t be selfish.”

“Oh, brother!?”

“Emperor Alexel…why are you here?”

“I was interested in this ritual, and of course, I’m here with prior permission.”

“Are you interested in this ritual?…So you were not actually interested in Nina?”

“What? Brother, is it true!?”

Hearing Kaiser’s words, Victoria had focused in on Alexel, raising her eyebrows.

And Nina, who was suddenly brought into the conversation, looked between Kaiser and Alexel, seemingly puzzled.

Furthermore, Kaiser had a kind of do-or-die expression on his face.

Huh? So that was it! I was wondering why Alexel offered to see this ritual…Well ~ I wish he had said so sooner then!

So I was nodding my head with a satisfied look, but for some reason, Alexel stared at me.

“I was just curious in Cecilia, who was participating in this ritual as Miss Nina’s partner.”

Hearing Alexel’s words, Kaiser and Princess Victoria looked at me in unison.

Apparently they had not noticed my presence until now, and both of them were surprised to see me, their eyes wide open.

“Ah, you!! Why the hell are you all dressed up!? You’re dressed like a shrine maiden…what are you thinking!?”

Princess Victoria looked at me with disgust.

I couldn’t answer her with anything but a dubious smile, thinking that in a way she was right.

Then Kaiser, who was beside her, approached me, wandering around in a daze for some reason.

“…Kaiser?”

“…How beautiful you are. It’s like a goddess…oh! My Cecilia!!”

“What!?”

Suddenly Kaiser hugged me with a fawning expression on his face.

I was surprised and upset by the suddenness of the situation, and I struggled to get out of Kaiser’s arms.

But Kaiser’s arms were stronger than I had imagined, and I couldn’t get out of them at all.

“Ka-Kaiser! Please let go!”

“No! I don’t want to let you go anymore.”

“No, no, no, no! Calm down! I mean, think about the location! Everyone is watching!”

“I only see you.”

“Then please look at the others!”

I appealed desperately in Kaiser’s arms.

Just then, Princess Victoria grabbed Kaiser’s arm with both hands and tried to get him to let go.

“Prince Kaiser! What are you doing!? I’m your fiancée! I will not allow you to take any woman into your arms other than me!”

Princess Victoria desperately tugged at Kaiser’s arm while shouting, but he didn’t budge at all.

Then her anger turned to me, and she looked up to glare at me…

“How long are you going to stay there!? Get out of there now! Prince Kaiser is my fiancé!”

“No, I would leave if I could, but…”

“I’m not letting you go.”

Something soft touched my cheek along with Kaiser’s words.

“Wha—how dare you!!”

I didn’t have time to pay attention to Princess Victoria, who was looking with an astonished expression, and my face heated up at once at the touch of Kaiser’s lips on my cheek.

Hey, he kissed me on the cheek!

The unexpected event had caused a huge panic in my head.

“Ah! I don’t know anymore!”

So Princess Victoria yelled and walked out of the ritual room with an angry look on her face.

“Prince Kaiser! You’re not supposed to be allowed to steal her like that!”

“Oh, Miss Nina, I’m so sorry. But I couldn’t help myself in the face of such a beautiful Cecilia.”

This time, Nina angrily approached Kaiser, and Kaiser, who had cooled down, apologized.

But even so, he refused to let me go.

“Kaiser, that’s enough…”

“I’ve had it up to here, so would you like to return my fiancée to me now?”

As soon as Alexel said that, he put his arms around my waist from behind and pulled me away from Kaiser.

“Emperor Alexel!”

“…What are you complaining about? If anything, given the situation we’re in now, I think it’s Prince Kaiser who’s in a worse position, don’t you think?”

“Uh!”

Because of the way Alexel is hugging me from behind, I can’t see the expression on his face, but from the feeling in his voice, I could tell that he was clearly very angry.

…Why is Alexel so angry? Even if I’m his fiancée, it’s only like that because my situation couldn’t be helped.

I was confused, not knowing why Alexel was so angry, and then Alexel prompted me to walk away as it was.

“Alexel?”

“I believe the ritual is over. Let’s go back.”

“What? In these conditions!?”

“Yeah.”

When I saw Alexel’s refusal to change his mind, I gave up and turned my head back, apologizing to Nina and the others.

Then for some reason, I was forced by an angry Alexel to leave the ceremony room.

And when we went out into the corridor and were walking in silence for a while towards my room…

“…Cecilia…”

“Yes, why…!!”

I froze as I tried to turn my face to Alexel’s call.

Because in the same place where Kaiser had kissed me earlier, Alexel bent down and kissed me.

“What, what…”

“Disinfection.”

While just that one word, Alexal started walked away with a satisfied look on his face.

While watching him with an astonished expression, I stopped in place, my face hot, holding my cheeks where both men had kissed me.

But then, I saw Princess Victoria, who was looking at me from the shadows in the form of an angry demon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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