Saint, You Should Quit Smoking

Sincerity.
As is often the case with the sincerity a woman shows to a man.
Faced with that passionately burning love, I couldn’t easily open my mouth.
Seeing me like this, Rinet quietly spoke.
“I was sincere when I said you don’t need to answer. I truly don’t mind.”
A firmly established, unwavering love.
Rinet’s heart was directly aimed at me. Like a sunflower facing the sun.
However.
“But still…”
Rinet raised her hand.
The white hand placed on top of mine was trembling slightly.
Nervousness.
What woman wouldn’t be afraid if her love might be one-sided?
“Can you… answer me?”
“…”
I quietly closed my eyes.
I turned the pages of my memories. The reason for recalling each extracted memory was, ultimately, to confirm my own heart.
My contemplation wasn’t long.
In fact, I had already decided on the answer I would give her.
“…I cannot give you a positive response.”
I softly revealed my heart.
A loving woman’s heart is heavy. Responding to that heart is truly difficult.
Like a sinner confessing wrongdoing, I answered Rinet’s feelings.
“…I see.”
Rinet’s hand fell away.
Gwak, she clenched both her hands.
At that point, my mouth opened again.
“…It feels truly sinful to continue after my previous answer, but I don’t dislike you, Saint.”
“Then what?”
Sullenly.
As if upset, yet expectant, Rinet’s lips pouted.
To make her understand clearly, there was something I needed to explain first.
“Saint.”
“Yes.”
“There’s a phenomenon that appears in some of the imperial family members who are descendants of the Golden Dragon. Especially in children who have strong dragon blood.”
“…”
“Do you know what that is?”
“What is it?”
My tongue produced words calmly.
Yes.
“Emotionlessness.”
Calmly, indeed.
“…”
Rinet’s eyes blinked. She probably hadn’t expected to hear such words.
I recalled the time Rinet had spent with me. So she could understand.
“Have I ever shown strong emotions to you, Saint? Think back.”
“…No, you haven’t.”
“That’s it. I barely feel emotions.”
A deep sigh escaped.
These words might hurt Rinet’s heart.
However.
Rather than a kind lie.
I had to choose the cruel truth.
“…To say I love you, I would first need to be able to feel love.”
“…”
“I’m aware that I’ve become close to you, Saint. I certainly don’t dislike you. But…”
I can’t be confident that this is love.
Moreover, I can’t even assure her that someone as emotionally dull as me could ever feel love for her.
Because I barely feel other emotions, let alone love.
Compared to Rinet’s passionate love, I can’t return even a fragment of love to her.
Rather than letting her heart boil with anguish alone.
It’s right to cut it off definitively.
“…”
When I finished my explanation.
Rinet remained silent for a while.
She must be organizing her thoughts.
While it’s good to realize love, if that love won’t be returned, it’s better to cut it off from the start.
As I was thinking that.
Rinet’s lips opened again.
“Emotionally insensitive. That’s what you said, right?”
“Yes.”
“But you can still feel emotions. Isn’t that right?”
“That’s right.”
“Then there’s no problem.”
My head tilted.
How could she speak with such confidence?
I had told her that her love would be difficult to bear fruit.
However.
The determination in her ash-colored pupils was firm.
“I’ll just have to steal your heart.”
“…”
“I’ll make you feel love. Enough to make you whisper in my ear that you love me, that you can’t bear it.”
A declaration.
That she would not give up.
And that she would definitely achieve what she wanted.
“…”
‘Could it be.’
I hadn’t thought this love would be so unquenchable.
It seems I underestimated her. She was beyond the level of a sunflower.
‘The sun.’
That love is like the eternally burning sun.
The world’s assessment of her as the daughter of the Sun God seems to be without even the slightest error.
“You understand?”
Poke.
She extended her long, white finger.
The skin that touched my lips was cool with the night’s energy, yet hot with love.
Rinet’s eyes curved.
“The grave crime of making a Saint open her eyes to love.”
That smile was pure like a Saint should be, but.
“You have to take responsibility.”
Somehow it was unlike a Saint and sensuous.
“…”
I felt that I had awakened a truly dangerous emotion in Rinet.

The two of us returned to the Academy. It was a long time after our departure.
During my stay at the Boderod estate, I left various matters to Boderod.
-Leave it to me. I’ve received grace from Your Highness, so I will handle it thoroughly.
Since he took responsibility for everything in my place.
I, who remained in the estate’s infirmary, led a very comfortable life.
With Rinet, that is.
“…”
When the estate’s soldiers and servants weren’t looking, how she showed her affection to me.
She was staying with me under the pretext of treating my hand. In reality, my hand had been completely healed.
Logically, there would be no need to hold my hand anymore. The treatment was over.
Nevertheless.
“…”
Soft hands firmly gripping the hand that had been injured.
“…Hehee.”
On the way to the imperial dormitory, Rinet continued to caress my now-scarless hand.
Sometimes she even subtly pulled my arm and rubbed it against her prominently bulging chest.
Looking at her smiling brightly, seeming so pleased.
I couldn’t help but worry.
“Saint.”
“Yes?”
Her ash-colored pupils gazing at me were filled with affection.
How could the eyes looking at a lover be otherwise?
-I’ll make you feel love.
I remember Rinet’s declaration of war, so I could understand that. However.
I looked around.
Fortunately, there were no students watching us. After confirming that, I let out a shallow sigh.
“I fear other students might see. Shouldn’t you be a bit more mindful of how this looks?”
“That’s why I’m doing it when no one’s around.”
Hmph- Rinet made a disgruntled sound.
That’s true. She was indeed making these bold moves after confirming no one was around.
Still, I couldn’t help but worry.
“I’m concerned someone might see.”
“So what if they do?”
However.
Rinet responded to my concern with a mischievous smile.
Her upturned mouth corners were like a little devil’s.
Swik, and she pressed her body against my arm.
I could feel her voluptuous breasts pressing through her Saint’s robe.
“Let them see. That might be even better.”
“…”
My gaze briefly examined Rinet’s expression.
For some reason, her face was filled with excitement.
She seemed to be feeling a thrill from this situation.
Even though other students might catch us, that very possibility seemed stimulating to her.
‘Is this woman really a Saint?’
Let’s say smoking is one thing. No, actually, that’s hard to understand too.
But.
Pressing her body against a man, sending affectionate glances.
Getting excited about the possibility of others seeing.
‘She’s developed a bad habit.’
I lamented internally.
She seems completely fixated on the sense of transgression that comes from doing bad things.
I decided to change the subject. Continuing this topic would be harmful to my mental health.
“There won’t be any worries for a while.”
“About what?”
“Not only did you and I restore the seal on the sealing stone, but we also subdued a dangerous person who was threatening the world.”
Though I couldn’t know exactly.
Our achievement has risen considerably. Especially sending the Knight Hunter to the imperial prison was a significant accomplishment.
The Academy would know that we fought and won against a criminal who had reached the Flower Realm.
“…Don’t tell me?”
“Pardon?”
Rinet narrowed her eyes.
Suspicion dwelled in her gaze.
“Now that you’ve accomplished something with me, are you going to focus on the others and ignore me?”
“How could I do that? I have no intention of neglecting you, Saint.”
I answered like this, but truthfully, I was thinking something else.
Focusing on Adela and Silvia rather than Rinet would be the better strategy. I kept that thought buried quietly.
While we were conversing, we had already arrived at the imperial dormitory.
Rinet released her hand and said.
“This is where Your Highness resides, right?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve memorized the way clearly, so I’ll come visit often.”
“…As you wish.”
There would be no use in trying to stop her.
I shrugged my shoulders and grabbed the doorknob.
‘It’s been a while.’
Though it wasn’t originally where I lived. Perhaps because I’d been away for so long, I strangely missed this dormitory.
“Ah. Before I go, can I take a peek?”
Rinet put her face next to my shoulder and asked.
“I’ve always been curious about men’s rooms.”
“There’s nothing special to see.”
“Heng. Saying that won’t make me change my mind.”
I grabbed the doorknob and turned it forcefully.
As if proving its quality, the door opened very smoothly. Without making even a sound.
I shifted my gaze inside. There was nothing I’d be uncomfortable showing to others. But you never know.
What my view captured was.
Sae-geun- Sae-geun-
A silver-haired girl sleeping on my bed.
At that moment, I remembered that the Sword Star was sharing a room with me.
‘I forgot.’
We hadn’t lived together for long. And this journey had taken so much time that it had completely slipped my mind.
“…Your Highness?”
A sharp voice.
The sun-like, affectionate tone had disappeared.
A chilly voice like midwinter cold struck my ears.
Gwak! A rough grip seized my hand that had been injured.
I turned my head to the owner of the grip.
A coldly burning flame.
A gaze shot at me that could only be described in those words.
She omitted all words and tartly said just one.
“Explain.”
“…”
How should I respond?
It’s not my fault? That’s not something I should say.
There’s a misunderstanding? Whatever I say wouldn’t be convincing.
What business is it of yours? I’d be lucky not to get slapped.
In the end, I made a bold decision.
“Let’s talk with the person involved.”
Riding the tiger’s back.
Rather than awkwardly backing out, charging in is the better strategy.