To the right of the Land of Demons's capital city, a clear stream meandered, with lush green banks and shady trees. The setting sun's afterglow dyed the water golden, creating a tranquil and beautiful environment.
Most importantly, just as Shun had "predicted," there were quite a few young men and women secretly dating around the riverbank. They either walked side-by-side or whispered intimately, and the air was filled with a youthful and ambiguous atmosphere.
Shun held Miroku's hand, casually strolling along the riverbank. Her fingers were slender and soft, with a slight coolness. In his palm, they seemed exceptionally docile, yet there was an imperceptible stiffness.
Shun knew well that this was not her resisting him. Rather, it was the imprint left by eighteen years as a priestess. From a young age, she was taught to maintain a dignified demeanor and keep her distance from others, especially men. This intimate contact was unfamiliar and full of uncertainty for her.
Shun had deliberately brought her here to let her soak in this atmosphere, to witness firsthand how couples in love interacted. He needed to break the invisible barrier in her heart. And the most direct way was to let her see an example.
"Miroku, look over there." Shun suddenly stopped, his voice lowered, with a hint of feigned mysterious amusement.
He secretly pointed to a small grove of trees not far away, where the foliage was a bit denser.
Miroku followed the direction he pointed, looking over curiously.
In the shadows of the grove, a young man and woman were locked in a tight embrace. The boy's head was lowered, the girl's face slightly upturned, their lips pressed tightly together, kissing passionately. They seemed completely immersed in their own world, oblivious to everything around them.
"!!!"
Miroku's pupils instantly dilated, as if struck by an invisible bolt of lightning.
Suddenly, the boy's right hand moved gently downwards, seemingly kneading…
Seeing this, Miroku's cheeks, ears, and even her fair neck, visibly flushed crimson at a rapid speed, like ripe apples. She looked as if she had seen something extremely shocking, something she absolutely shouldn't have seen, and her entire body stiffened.
The next second, intense shyness and bewilderment instantly overwhelmed her.
Like a startled deer, she forcefully, almost dragging Shun's right hand, frantically wanted to escape this place immediately.
"Go. Hurry. Shun, we… we should go somewhere else."
Her voice was filled with obvious panic and shyness, completely losing the usual calm and ethereal quality of a priestess, leaving only the awkwardness of a young girl.
Seeing Miroku's adorable appearance, with even her earlobes flushed red, and her flustered posture as if she wanted to find a crack in the ground to hide in, Shun's lips curled into a triumphant smile.
This priestess's innocence was far more exaggerated than he had imagined but he didn't stop her. Instead, he yielded to her pull, letting her lead him away from the riverbank at a brisk pace, towards a more secluded area.
Seeing that no one was around, Shun exerted a slight force and pulled Miroku into his arms. He dominantly kissed her lips, his left hand gripping a certain spot, and then gently squeezed it.
Miroku's face instantly turned red-hot, as if steam was about to erupt from the top of her head. She forcefully pushed Shun away, as if she had been burned.
"You… you…!"
She was both shy and anxious, incoherent, not daring to look at his smiling eyes again.
Then, like a startled rabbit, she lifted her skirt and ran frantically along the riverbank, leaving only a graceful yet disheveled figure behind.
Watching her flee in disarray, Shun's lips uncontrollably curved upwards. That smile was exactly like an evil villain who had succeeded in his scheme and was enjoying his prey's panicked escape.
He took unhurried steps, following Miroku from a distance.
After Miroku ran for a while, her breathing began to quicken. Finally, she leaned against a small tree, slightly out of breath. Her cheeks were still flushed, whether from exhaustion or shyness, she didn't know.
Just then, the voice that had unsettled her sounded from behind. "Are you tired of running?"
Miroku's body stiffened, she was a little annoyed, and a little helpless. She could only pout slightly and avert her gaze, not looking at him.
Shun chuckled, then crouched down in front of her, meeting her slightly panting gaze.
He extended two fingers and said unhurriedly, "Alright, game over. Now you have two choices. Either I carry you back, or I piggyback you back. Your Highness, the esteemed priestess, which one will you choose?"
Miroku's heartbeat, which had just calmed down, suddenly accelerated again. She looked at the man crouching in front of her, his domineering yet playful posture, which gave her no option to walk back on her own.
She opened her mouth, wanting to protest, but found that she couldn't utter a word of refusal. Or rather, she knew that protesting would be futile.
She hesitated for a moment, then finally bent down carefully, gently wrapped her arms around his neck, and lay on his broad back.
Shun's scorching body temperature and the firm feel of his back muscles clearly transmitted, causing her recently cooled cheeks to warm up again.
Shun steadily supported her bent legs, easily stood up, and adjusted her higher to make her more comfortable.
"Hold on tight, we're going back."
The sky gradually darkened, and the two walked slowly by the river.
Feeling her constantly accelerating heartbeat, Shun gently asked, "Miroku, are you ready to be my wife?"
Miroku pressed her face against his back and softly hummed, "Mm."
…
At night, the moonlight was like water, quietly spilling over the ancient castle.
Shun secretly came to Miroku's door. The door was unlocked, so he gently pushed it open.
Inside the room, candlelight was warm, and Miroku was not yet asleep. She was dressed in a simple nightgown, standing by the window, gazing at the moonlight.
Hearing the door open, she turned around, her face beginning to blush but her firm gaze indicated that she had already made a certain decision.
"Shun…"
Shun closed the door behind him and walked towards her. This time, he was no longer eager, but simply gently took her hand.
"Are you scared?"
Miroku shook her head slightly, finally looking up at him. "No, I'm not scared."
Shun lowered his head and kissed her lips again. This kiss was deeper than the one during the day, full of promise and possessiveness.
He gently picked her up and walked towards the tatami in the inner room.
As he laid Miroku down, he gently and slowly undressed her, all while Miroku was burning red. Ignoring her small and weak protests, he focused on his task—stripping her.
After he was done, Shun got up and looked down at the beautiful sight before him.
Miroku was lying on the tatami mat on her back. She tried to cover up her breasts but the majority of her boobs still filled his eyes. Her thin waist, curvy body and her mesmerising eyes captured Shun's heart.
Shun quickly undressed himself before Miroku. Miroku covered her eyes but Shun could see that the gap between her fingers was too wide for someone trying to cover their eyes.
As Miroku saw the fully naked Shun, her beating heart pumped even faster. She felt like her heart might jump out of her chest at any moment.
Seeing Miroku's dazed eyes, Shun smiled. "You like what you see?"
Hearing Shun's sudden words, Miroku got out of her stupor and quickly stammered, "W–What are you... talking about?!"
Miroku's flustered reply elicited a light laugh from Shun.
"Haha. You are so cute."
Miroku blushed even more at that and averted her gaze from Shun's eyes. Coincidentally or rather intentionally, her gaze fell upon the thing in between Shun's legs.
Seeing the thick and veiny member, Miroku was stunned.
Are they supposed to be this big?
How would it even fit inside her?
What if something went wrong?
How much would it hurt?
What if...
Countless questions ran through Miroku's mind in a short while.
This was her first time seeing a male reproductive organ and Miroku didn't know how to feel.
On one hand, she was full of anticipation and excitement for the coming event.
On the other hand, she was scared of the unknown. She didn't how to deal with this kind of thing that she had no prior experience with.
Miroku's thoughts were disrupted as Shun approached her and captured her lips in one fluid motion. She didn't even notice Shun approaching her until his lips touched hers.
Miroku was a bit stunned at first but she quickly came to her senses and responded to Shun's initiative. Even though she wasn't as experienced as Shun, she tried her best to convey her love for him with the kiss.
After what felt like an eternity, Shun moved his lips away.
As he looked at Miroku's pouting expression and wet eyes, he couldn't help but smile. "Now that I've tasted the upper lip, let me have a sip of the lower one."
Before Miroku could process his words and understand what he meant, Shun dove down to in between Miroku's legs and used his tongue.
Feeling the sudden touch on her sensitive spot, Miroku let out a surprised yelp.
"Eek!!!"
"Wh... What are... ahh... you... mmn... doing?" Miroku asked her question amidst some moans.
Shun looked up at her and smiled. "Tasting you, of course."
Miroku shyly said, "But... that place... it's dirty."
Shun shook his head. "No part of you is dirty."
Before Miroku could protest, Shun got back to action.
"You... Ahhnnn..."
Miroku couldn't make out a sentence as she felt a crazy amount of sensations. She could only twist and turn while trying to adjust to these new things she was feeling.