The Protagonists of the Novel Escaped

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The dry sensation enveloping her lips.

A strong scent of gunpowder that makes her feel nostalgia.

Gentle waltz music playing softly.

With her shoulders trembling in confusion, whoosh, Ludmilla closed her eyes tightly.

She slightly parted her lips, indulging in the sensation of her first kiss. Cautiously, she moved her tongue, worried about making a clumsy mistake in front of Edanant.

‘Bitter yet sweet. Did he drink coffee before coming here…?’

After the dry touch, a bitter taste lingered.

Coffee.

The rich and deep bitterness undeniably tasted like coffee.

What kind of kiss was Edanant experiencing?

Having just sipped wine at the banquet, he must be savoring a sweet bitterness similar to coffee. Ludmilla cheered for her choice of wine.

If she’d just eaten a heavy meal like steak, it could have led to awkwardness.

“I’m sorry. I acted rudely without any words. You seemed quite surprised.”

“It’s, it’s fine…! I was a bit surprised, though….”

Edanant softly pulled away.

Then, a thin thread of saliva connected their lips like a spider’s web.

For a first kiss, it was intense.

The dampness of Ludmilla’s lips spoke for itself.

In her first experience, Ludmilla felt lost and turned her head away, her face blushing so deeply that making eye contact was impossible.

“I’m sorry, it’s my first time… I was quite awkward.”

“Me too… it was my first time as well.”

They revealed it was their first kiss.

With that, Ludmilla’s face turned an even deeper shade of red.

She had thought Edanant seemed adept, as if he had shared passionate kisses with many women. Who would have guessed it was his first kiss with someone of the opposite sex as well?

I’m his first girl.

And having expressed affection with a first kiss means he truly loves me.

His first girl.

I’m his first girl…!

My heart raced like crazy.

A warm thrill quickly enveloped her entire body.

It felt like the saintess dressed in pure white vestments was wailing in her ears. Ludmilla finally felt confident, believing she had won a fierce battle.

“Well then, it seems we’re both first timers.”

“Cough, cough…!”

Edanant chuckled softly.

Feeling embarrassed, Ludmilla turned her head to the side and cleared her throat sheepishly.

“It’s an honor to receive the first kiss from the beautiful princess. I must be incredibly lucky.”

“D-Don’t tease me! I’m so embarrassed…!”

Perhaps due to the lingering feeling of their first kiss.

Her body was hot, like a candle oozing wax.

At Edanant’s teasing joke, Ludmilla shrank back and responded, her breath still sweetly lingering.

“Ludmilla?”

“J-Just, just a moment….”

She could sense movements around her.

They must be searching for the Ludmilla who had shown up in a precarious situation and then disappeared.

Unfortunately, it couldn’t be helped.

She couldn’t put Ludmilla in trouble due to a momentary regret.

Edanant forced himself to give up and stepped back.

Then, Ludmilla, looking desperate, grabbed onto Edanant.

“Ugh…!”

The blood rushing from their first kiss stirred the virgin in her.

Ludmilla stretched out both hands, wrapping them around Edanant’s neck. With a determined look, she suddenly kissed him intensely and roughly.

“……!”

Maybe it was due to a lack of experience with kisses.

Or perhaps she had become so heated that she almost lost her mind.

Caught in Ludmilla’s passionate embrace, Edanant stiffened. Even if he tried to move his shoulders, the gap in strength made it impossible.

“I only need… you. Everything else doesn’t matter.”

The intent towards the Creator Deity, the desire to unleash chaos upon the indifferent crowd, even the sinister whispers urging malicious emotions—

All those longed-for kisses rendered them powerless against trivial distractions.

Having received a sincere confession from Edanant, Ludmilla expressed her earnest love in return.

Edanant nodded while wrapping his arms around her slender waist.

“Do you know how surprised I was to see you sitting on the floor, Ludmilla?”

“I-I’m sorry…”

“No, it’s my fault for making Ludmilla worry.”

“It’s not your fault. It’s all because of the Creator Deity’s divine oracle…”

The passionate, youthful kiss came to an end.

Yet Edanant and Ludmilla still held onto each other.

They didn’t want to let go.

They didn’t want to step back as if nothing had happened.

So, gazing at each other, they whispered like lovers, almost about to kiss again.

“Should I propose now? Or later?”

“W-Wait, isn’t that a bit sudden!? P-Please save the proposal for later. My heart feels like it’s going to burst right now….”

After confessing to each other, they hinted at a proposal.

As the usually indecisive Edanant began to move swiftly, Ludmilla felt the world spin before her eyes.

A proposal.

In other words, a marriage request.

Finally, it was time to end her long spinsterhood.

But was the rapidly unfolding situation too sudden? Even though she had longed for this moment, Ludmilla foolishly chose to postpone her answer.

*

The next day.

Ludmilla spent the night wide awake.

Sleep wouldn’t come.

No,

To be accurate, she couldn’t sleep.

The unidentified unsettling energy that enveloped her was irrelevant. Her mind was completely filled with the memory of her first kiss with Edanant.

“Ugh…! Ughhh!!”

Swallowing her mixed emotions, she ripped the pillow she was clutching in both hands left and right.

WHOOSH-!

The pillow screamed as feathers rained down.

Maidens witnessing the madness unfolding in the Second Imperial Princess’ chamber hurriedly closed the door. Then, pretending nothing had happened, they vanished with brooms and buckets in hand.

“Sister, are you that happy?”

“Cough cough…! If I said I wasn’t at all happy, it would obviously be a lie.”

Her younger sister, who watched her sister’s excitement closely, chuckled.

It’s the first time.

To see her sister act like this.

The sister, who always appeared flawless, was acting clumsily and carefree. Elizaveta watched her sister, chuckling softly.

“I-I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be showing such a whimsical side in front of you…”

“I’m fine. I’ve wished for you to be with Edanant for a long time. Now that you’ve shared a kiss and made confessions to each other, it won’t be long until you score.”

Perhaps because she had finally fulfilled her wish.

Elizaveta briefly forgot that she too loved Edanant.

It was another relationship where they both loved the same man.

So she worried that her silly bragging wouldn’t hurt her sister.

Yet Elizaveta wore a bright smile as she genuinely congratulated her sister’s happiness, loving Edanant while supporting her sister.

“Sniff sniff. Sniff sniff….”

While the princesses of the Valtarian Imperial Family were showcasing their youthful sisterly bond,

A girl with green hair approached Ludmilla, sniffing and disturbing the beautiful atmosphere.

What’s that?

Not a crime scene dog, of course.

Turning her head up, focusing on her sense of smell, Rue approached Ludmilla. Then, she grabbed the hem of Ludmilla’s skirt and buried her face into it.

“Eh? Aunty… No, there’s a weird smell coming from the beautiful sister.”

“…….”

Rue Luinong’s keen nose detected something suspicious.

The smell of something burnt.

More precisely, the scent of scorched velvet.

Why was such an ominous smell coming from the lady’s evening dress?

Like Edanant, who scattered hints of gunpowder every time he used a divine status of war.

“Rue, even if my sister is a spinster, you shouldn’t say such things carelessly.”

“Eeep…! I-I’m sorry! I was just curious about the unique smell!”

The stench was a common trait of the demons worshipping the Disaster God.

Rusty iron. Rotten soil. Decayed plants.
Demons always spread the nauseating stench indicative of slaughter as they advanced.

But the Apostles who received the divine status of disaster were different.

Just as Edanant exuded a refined scent of gunpowder, Ludmilla emitted a scent reminiscent of scorched velvet. Other apostles serving the disaster of innocence would surely carry the same trait.

“…….”

A strange smell,

A unique odor.

Rue’s sharp words felt like a shocking blow.

It was concerning.

What if Edanant suddenly decided to drop by….

As the unsettling feeling washed over her, Ludmilla asked the maidens for bathwater.

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