The Priest Wants to Retire

EP.244 Epilogue. The Hero’s Jealousy Has No Holidays. (1)

Suddenly, I find myself pondering such thoughts.

When I wake up in the morning and get out of bed, I sometimes wonder if everything up until now was just a dream.

After rubbing my eyes and letting out a long yawn, I generally shake off such thoughts, but today they lingered unusually long.

The cold wind sneakily crept in through the window cracks, causing my bare body to shiver.

Has it already come time to light the heater?

Wrapping my arms around my shoulders, I glanced around for the clothes I had taken off last night when I suddenly realized the source of my distractions.

Ah, I see. Winter is just around the corner.

It’s the first winter I’ve faced since that day, which became the biggest turning point in my life.

Can you believe it’s been a year since that tumultuous event occurred?

Now I understand why the older folks constantly say time flies.

Now that I’ve become a proper old man myself, time slipping away felt frustratingly real.

At least I managed to have a wedding ceremony before it was too late.

If I had made any wrong moves, I would have been stuck hearing “that old bachelor” remarks.

“Ugh…”

In the early morning, feeling that peculiar dry thirst, I instinctively reached out, only to find an empty water jug.

While a couple of aphrodisiac bottles did roll around, what I needed was hydration, not fuel.

There’s no helping it. Given the situation…

Jingle jingle.

“Yes. Did you call for me, Pope’s Deputy?”

After ringing the bell on the desk a couple of times, I soon heard a voice from outside the door.

“Uh, if it’s not too much trouble, could you bring me some drinking water?”

“Yes. I’ll bring you only the finest first-class water, melted from the eternal snow of the northern regions. I’ll serve you the finest Valton wine right away. Please wait a moment.”

“N-no, just plain water is enough…”

“May the gods smile upon you.”

As soon as those words were spoken, the presence I felt outside the door had already faded into the distance.

Out of nowhere, the Sister’s nagging voice that I should get used to managing subordinates echoed in my mind.

But with someone shadowing my every move, I felt like I would never get used to this kind of life, even if decades pass.

“Pope’s Deputy…”

Pope’s Deputy. It’s a title that never fails to make my heart race.

I can pride myself on having no regrets about that choice I made that day.

But had I known that this choice would lead to such outcomes, I might have hesitated for just a moment.

Shaking my head to clear away the pointless thoughts, I slowly lifted my body tangled in the sheets.

“Ugh…”

As I did, the sensual body that had tightly wrapped its arms around my waist also slipped out of the blankets.

“I’m sorry, Hero. Did I wake you…?”

“Mmm…”

Instead of answering, a cute grumble came out, making a warm smile escape me unexpectedly.

The most diligent person I’ve ever met was up later than me, and here she was lazily snuggling around.

If it had been me a year ago, I would have doubted my own eyes at such a sight.

In my earlier days, had she wrapped around me half-naked, I would have surely fainted.

“Good morning, Hero.”

Peck. She lightly kissed my forehead as a morning greeting, causing the grip around my waist to loosen just a bit.

It wasn’t like she was running away. Experiencing this kind of humiliation every morning made me naturally adjust my approach.

“Up we go.”

I swiftly picked up the still-dreaming Hero in a princess carry.

If I hesitated to remove her, she would cling to my waist even tighter.

After various trial and error, I found this method to be the best.

“How’s it? Are you awake now?”

Nod.

The Hero nodded without a word, slowly wrapping her arms around my neck.

The warmth was far too much for a thin blanket to contain—soft and inviting.

Every time her fine hair brushed against my nose, the fresh scent invigorated my body, which had been chilled by the early morning air.

Even after all we did last night, the lack of restraint was becoming excessive.

If the Hero couldn’t practice self-control, then I should at least keep my wits about me.

Feeling embarrassed to face Bigtim, who had entrusted me with his sister, I couldn’t make eye contact.

“How about a sandwich for breakfast?”

“Yeah…”

“Any special requests?”

“Meat… a lot…”

“Haha, got it.”

The way the Hero, half-asleep, answered made me want to carry her away, she was that adorable.

Well, I had already carried her away a long time ago.

What can I say?

A year ago, the Hero and I officially became a married couple.

The great hero who saved this system from the Demon King’s monsters had, in fact, a promised partner.

Not only that, but the partner was also the newly appointed Pope, chosen by the Vatican, who had lost their leadership due to the havoc caused by the Demon King.

I can still vividly recall the uproar when those facts were first announced.

Because of that, my life for the past year has been anything but peaceful.

“Now, I need to get cooking… I would appreciate it if you could let go of me for a moment…”

Squawk.

“I understand… Just make sure you hold on tightly. Alright then.”

“Heh, hehe…”

As soon as those words left my mouth, the Hero clung to my waist like a little koala.

Yet our position was so embarrassing that I couldn’t bear to let anyone see us, but it couldn’t be helped.

Since being appointed as the Pope’s Deputy, I was buried in work related to managing the aftermath of Dungeon Disasters.

The Hero and I had trouble finding any time alone as newlyweds.

Was that why?

For some reason, the Hero developed this bizarre habit of sticking close to me whenever there was an opportunity.

“Um, why are you biting your ear…?”

“It’s a pre-meal snack…?”

During cooking, I tried to stop the Hero, who was nibbling on my ear, but…

“Didn’t you bite me all over last night? This is just payback.”

With her sultry voice whispering in my ear, I decided to put my hands to work instead of my mouth.

Smirk.

I won.

A triumphant smile spread across her face, sending heat flooding through my body.

I wanted to twist that smug disposition into something unrecognizable, just like last night.

Suppressing the bold urges that welled up in the corners of my mind, I held the completed sandwiches and sat calmly on the sofa.

“It looks like you’re fully awake now?”

Huff… Ah…

After soaking my ear, now she was busy enjoying the smell of my neck.

Since officially marrying, I had grown accustomed to the Hero’s unabashed pursuit of her desires.

“Wow…”

While petting the Hero’s head, I resumed studying the papers I had been looking at yesterday.

I knew that the Hero didn’t like me getting distracted by other things during our intimate moments, but…

Today being our rare holiday together, I had lost a whole day to her whims, so I was running out of time.

“Hero, since you’re fully awake now, let’s slowly…”

“I want to kiss.”

“Hero, no!”

Despite my desperate plea, the Hero suddenly pulled me into a fierce embrace.

The soft flesh pressed against me created an overwhelming sensation.

In that moment, the blush-inducing stimuli that I had tried to push out of my consciousness rushed through my spine.

But what startled me the most was the soft, sweet crimson tongue that forced its way between my tightly closed lips.

“W-wait! Stop! Slurp! No! Eek!”

I tried to protest softly, but it didn’t seem to register at all.

In fact, my weak resistance only seemed to speed up the Hero’s advances.

Phew…

After a lengthy struggle, our lips finally parted, but the tacky thread connecting them remained intact.

“I want to.”

The Hero didn’t say much.

Only briefly conveying her pure desire directly.

After everything that had happened last night, I was baffled at her insistence for more.

For a moment, I thought about pushing her down right then and there, but I hesitated, concerned about the Hero’s wellbeing.

“Hero, two days in a row might be too much…”

“……”

The Hero’s expression turned frigid upon hearing my awkward remark.

It was then that a voice from outside the door broke the sudden silence.

“Pope’s Deputy, I’ve brought the item you requested.”

“Y-yes, thank you! ─!”

Crash!

Startled by the ice-cold sensation from my lower abdomen as if an ice piece had been dropped in, I unconsciously toppled the sofa.

“Wha-what’s going on, Pope’s Deputy!”

Bang! Crash!

I hurriedly pressed my back against the slightly open door, closing it tight.

But the brief relief that I had averted a disaster faded quickly.

“Ah, it’s nothing! Nothing at all─!”

The reason for my sudden stutter was quite simple.

I had made eye contact.

Facing a lioness creeping in unguarded while I was left utterly exposed made me feel completely vulnerable.

‘Absolutely not!’

I silently urged with my lips, but the moment had already passed.

“Slurp♪”

The golden beast, licking its lips invitingly, seemed all too prepared to pounce on its prey.

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