Chapter 128. Most People Prefer the Middle Ground

Noah knew Clotilde must have hated him to death, but that was exactly what he wanted.

Moreover, after the last outdoor exposure play, he had also come to a realization.

When necessary, he wouldn’t choose to endure anymore, but would choose to comply.

—

If something must be sacrificed, then Noah would sell his own allure, rather than his emotions.

To let the righteous heroine fall into darkness, it was essential to hate him.

Noah did not wish to be liked.

“Alright, let’s get this started, Sister. This is a necessary sacrifice to help you regain your magic quickly, you know? I’ve gone this far for you, and if you don’t appreciate it, I’ll be quite troubled.”

Noah wore a smile that held no good intentions, attempting to force the box into the hands of the nun, who was enduring the curse of lust.

“I refuse! Even if the curse activates, I will not commit sinful acts in this sacred church!”

The nun stepped back immediately, refusing to accept the small box filled with wickedness, glaring at Noah with unwavering resolve.

In the early stages of the curse, she could still endure a little, so while her reason remained intact, Clotilde felt that her most urgent task was to leave the church at once.

It would be best to find the nearest inn and book a room; if that failed, a secluded corner would suffice.

In any case, the church was out of the question.

She could not indulge her own desires in a holy place where other believers were devoutly worshipping the goddess.

“Is that so? So unwilling, huh? Well then, never mind, Sister, you may go.”

Noah certainly wanted Clotilde to stay, but at that moment, he chose to play hard to get.

He deliberately closed the lid of the wooden box, turning to walk back as if he intended to return the box, feigning a willingness to let the nun go.

“What nonsense are you spouting? You come here too, you vile priest!”

But as soon as Noah turned, the nun seized his arm once more.

Then, in a fit of anger and embarrassment, she yanked him out of the church.

In truth, Clotilde desperately wanted to punch Noah’s handsome face, to kick his body, and never see him again.

But if she left alone, she knew she could not quell the curse by herself.

In that state of lost reason, she would surely begin to indiscriminately attack passersby, and that would be the worst possible future—one she must avoid at all costs.

So, no matter how much she loathed him, she needed Noah as her ‘helper.’

Pushing open the door to the room, Clotilde forced herself to endure the curse and her anger towards Noah, dragging the nonchalant Noah into the corridor.

Seeing that Noah did not resist, the nun felt a flicker of relief within.

Good, as long as I can keep dragging this b*stard to a deserted place! I can hold on a little longer!

In truth, when she had grabbed Noah’s arm earlier, Clotilde had clearly felt the curse stirring.

Fortunately, she hadn’t directly grasped his arm but had touched his body through his clothing.

Otherwise, if she had made direct contact, she felt she would never have been able to leave that room.

Now, having pulled the unresisting Noah out of the church room and into the corridor, Clotilde believed she still had a chance of victory.

Unfortunately, Noah’s lack of resistance was not due to genuine compliance; he had a plan in reserve.

As Clotilde dragged Noah, eager to leave the cathedral quickly without drawing anyone’s attention…

—

As if an evil god were at play, outside the grand cathedral’s entrance, a pair of young lovers were entwined in a passionate embrace.

They locked eyes fiercely, and to Clotilde’s shock, they kissed—deeply, as if oblivious to the world around them, fervently yearning for one another.

!?

What utter shamelessness! Go find a secluded spot! Why must they kiss right at the cathedral’s doorstep!?

This sight instantly robbed the once-patient nun of her ability to move.

She could neither lift her long, strong legs nor tear her gaze away from the transparent silver bridge the couple had constructed in the air.

Clotilde’s previously resolute will wavered under the powerful visual assault.

The sinful markings on her abdomen seemed to glow with delight, becoming so radiant that even her black nun’s habit could not conceal them.

Though she chastised the couple for their indecency, Clotilde was utterly entranced, her other hand instinctively reaching toward her inner thigh.

Stop, stop… If I’m discovered, I’ll be seen as a perverted lunatic!

The last remnants of her rationality screamed for her to endure.

Yet deep within, another voice urged her to indulge, whispering that the pain of restraint was far worse than the liberation of desire.

Her body, which should have obeyed her will, slipped from her control, succumbing to that voice.

I’m… doomed…

Just as the nun teetered on the brink of despair, helplessly watching her remaining reason be consumed by some insatiable desire, a powerful force yanked her back.

Bang!

With the violent slam of a door that dispelled that dreadful voice, Clotilde’s gaze, once fully engulfed by passion, regained a flicker of clarity.

In that moment, she realized that Noah had forcibly dragged her back to the church’s chamber just as she was about to lose her mind.

“See? Didn’t I tell you? It’s better to do it right here in the church. Now you understand the importance of listening to the priest, don’t you?”

Noah, observing the nun who could barely stand, kneeling in the room with a flushed face, spoke in a tone reminiscent of a true priest, chastising her for her indiscretion.

But as soon as Noah finished speaking, Clotilde, relieved that her shameful display was no longer exposed, could no longer contain the burning heat that felt as if it could scorch her very soul. She began to lose herself once more, right in front of Noah.

“…This is… absolutely terrible… When I see them again, I’ll give them a piece of my mind!”

Clotilde bit her lower lip in frustration, her face flushed with shame yet brimming with resentment.

As Noah had said.

Now, she could not leave the church.

Compared to being labeled a perverted lunatic, losing herself in the church felt far less unbearable.

“By the way, those two must have been arranged by you, right? What a coincidence otherwise!”

No longer suppressing her desires but instead choosing to vent them, Clotilde’s rationality returned somewhat. She looked up at Noah, her expression a mix of shame and anger.

“Hmm, I won’t deny it. But isn’t it all fine now? And dear nun, in this state, no matter how angry you get, you won’t frighten anyone, will you? So, what do you think? It’s not so unacceptable in the church, is it?”

Noah leaned against the door, a smirk of mockery curling at the corner of his mouth as he observed the flustered nun before him with keen interest.

The nun, for her part, had no other recourse but to glare at him with a ferocity that seemed capable of biting him to death.

—