“It’s just for confirmation. There are no other feelings involved. And since it’s your first experience with a priest, there’s no need to talk about romance or anything like that. You don’t need to worry unnecessarily.”

Sherburn leaned in and gazed intently.

‘Wow. He’s so close…’

Sherburn’s gray eyes seemed to shine beautifully.

‘Why is my heart racing like this? If it’s a kiss… would it be okay?’

“Yes.. if it’s for confirmation…”

When Sera lowered her head, Sherburn gently lifted her chin.

“…I said it’s for confirmation, but you’re beautiful, Sera.”

He lightly caressed Sera’s cheek, smiled, and then kissed her.

“Mmph. Mmm..”

Their lips touched only briefly. Soon, Sherburn’s tongue explored inside Sera’s mouth.

Sera felt her heart pounding and her body heating up rapidly, even feeling a tightness between her legs.

‘Mmm… Ah, as expected… a kiss… it’s better than I thought…’

As Sera tried to wrap her arms around Sherburn’s waist, he pulled away and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

“First of all, you are indeed an adult. Judging by your face, you can feel both sexual desire and pleasure. It’s just that your pheromone manifestation hasn’t occurred yet.”

Sherburn took back the necklace he had given to Sera as he spoke. She looked at him with half-dazed eyes, seemingly disappointed.

“Mmm… What?!”

‘Ugh, how embarrassing.’

Sera quickly regained her composure and spoke.

“No… Is this kind of thing possible?”

Sherburn put the necklace back around his neck and returned to his seat.

“It’s not common. Usually, if the pheromone manifestation hasn’t occurred, you shouldn’t be able to feel sexual desire or pleasure.”

At that moment, Emil returned and poured tea. Sera mumbled to herself, trying to appear calm.

‘Did they see us kissing? How embarrassing.’

“Priest Sherburn sometimes alleviates pheromone tension through sex.”

Emil whispered this and winked as he left. The face that had just calmed down felt flushed again.

“Such unnecessary talk… tsk.”

Sherburn clicked his tongue and glared at the departing Emil.

“If pheromone manifestation hasn’t occurred, it’s usually because the person doesn’t know their real name during prayer. The prayer doesn’t reach the deity. It seems you know a different name than the one registered at the shrine.”

Sherburn spoke while sipping the tea Emil had brought.

“Are you saying I don’t know my own name correctly?”

“Yes. In cases where pheromone manifestation didn’t occur past the expected time, it’s generally found among orphans. Usually, when they become orphans without knowing their name, a new name is given at the orphanage and registered at the shrine. But if they know their name, the registration process is skipped since the parents would have registered it. However, in Sera’s case, the registered name and the name you know are different, so the pheromone manifestation doesn’t happen.”

“Then, can’t I just re-register my name at the temple?”

“Yes. That’s exactly the solution.”

Sherburn smiled gently and agreed to register it at the shrine.

‘Phew… I’m relieved. It’s something that can be resolved easily.’

Sherburn wrote both names, ‘Sera’ and ‘Seria,’ on a piece of paper.

Then he cut a lock of Sera’s hair, wrapped it in the paper, placed it on the deity’s statue, and burned it while offering a prayer.

Afterward, they prayed for pheromone manifestation again, but the result remained unchanged.

“I suspect that Sera might be from a high-ranking noble family. Nobles usually have their own family shrines. If a name is registered with the family, it can’t be changed like this. To undergo pheromone manifestation, you have to find your family and retrieve your original registered name.”

‘Ugh… Dad’s family… Mom never told me about it…!’

Sera clutched her head.

(9 years ago.) [One day in Imperial Year 321.]

It was a day when the sun shone, yet strangely, rain poured down. A dark aura settled over the small cabin suitable for two women to live in.

“I’m sorry… I really wanted to be by your side when you became an adult, Sera…”

Sera’s mother, Jera, found no relief even after receiving pheromone suppression from the priest.

Stricken by an unexplained pheromone surge, her mother lay bedridden, gently stroking young Sera’s head.

“Sera. Listen carefully. The truth is, your father… was a very high-ranking noble.”

Sera’s mother was also from an orphanage, but after becoming an adult, she got a job as a maid in a noble’s mansion.

Sera’s father, who was the heir, took an interest in Sera’s mother, who resembled his own mother who had passed away early in his childhood. As he watched her, he naturally developed feelings for her.

“When I become an adult, you’ll accept me, right?”

“Oh, young master… How could I possibly…? I’m an orphan and a maid in your mansion… Our statuses are completely different.”

Though she didn’t entirely dislike him, Jera couldn’t accept Sera’s father’s feelings due to their difference in status.

“I said I’m fine, so why do they say it’s not okay? As long as our child inherits my hair color, there won’t be any problems! Even if that’s not the case, I’ll take responsibility. And what’s the big deal about status? Anyway, the person with the stronger pheromone is superior.”

“So, young master, you have strong pheromones and high status, but I don’t. My pheromones won’t satisfy you anyway.”

“No. My heart is already set on you. You’ll see once we try, right?”

“Yes. I understand. Then… I have laundry piled up, so I’ll just…”

With a youthful face, Jera hurried her steps, trying hard to hide her overwhelmed expression by bowing her head deeply.

“Hooh…”

Some time later, when her father was approaching his coming-of-age ceremony, he sought out Jera, who had completed hers a bit earlier.

After successfully completing the coming-of-age ceremony, a grand party was held.

Being the only future head of the family, everyone celebrated, and even Jera, who was off duty at the time, joined the maids in a toast.

As everyone left and the night grew quiet, Jera, pleasantly tipsy, was caught in a strange mood, comforting herself.

Sera’s father, also quite drunk, officially experienced pheromone manifestation and, overwhelmed with emotion, sought out Jera.

Taking advantage of their intoxication, they confessed the feelings they had suppressed and confirmed their love.

Feeling joy and emotion, they shared an uncontrollable love. Unable to stop the pheromone release, a small life began to blossom between them as they reached the peak of their passion.

Sera’s grandfather, who was the head of the family at the time, scolded Sera’s father for his lack of control, and Jera, who was a maid, was also reprimanded. However, since she was carrying the family’s heir, they remained silent and watched until Sera was born.

After Sera was born and inherited Jera’s hair color, the head of the family declared that they could never be accepted and ordered Sera and Jera to be cast out.

“Mother also had brown hair, didn’t she? If I had inherited Mother’s hair color, would you have thought of abandoning me too?”

“Of course.”

The head of the family answered without a moment’s hesitation, their eyes cold as ice.

“…”

Sera’s father couldn’t abandon his beloved partner and child. Instead, he chose to abandon the family.

“Hmph. Even if they try to run, they’re still within the palm of my hand.”

The life of abandoning the family didn’t last long.

As the only son of the family, Sera’s father was destined to inherit it, so when the head of the family’s health rapidly declined, they urgently sought out their son.

He couldn’t hold out for two years and was eventually caught.

Sera’s grandfather threatened Jera.

He ordered her not to reveal that she had ever worked for their family. He exiled her to the outskirts and registered her under a new name at the shrine so that Sera’s father could never find her.

Thus, the connection with her father came to an end.

When Jera finished the story, she would smile softly when recalling her father’s face, but her expression would twist when talking about her grandfather.

Even hearing about her father for the first time, Sera’s reaction was dry.

“So… in any case, I should just think of Dad as someone who doesn’t exist, right?”

“I’m sorry… I didn’t want you to grow up lonely like I did…”

Sera forced a smile.

“…I’m okay. Don’t worry.”

Mature beyond her years, Sera didn’t want to worry her mother. She also knew that her mother didn’t have much time left.

“I’m really okay. I’ll grow up strong and well.”

“The real name your father and I gave you is… Ugh!!”

“Mom!! Mom?!”

Sera jumped up, watching Jera in agony.

“Huff… Huff…”

Struggling to catch her breath, she continued speaking.

“Se…ria… that’s your original name. But Sera. You… must live as Sera. Do you understand what I mean..?”

“Yes… I understand.”

Sera held back her tears and tightly grasped her mother’s hand.

“My daughter… you must be happy…”

Her mother closed her eyes with a sad smile and finally took her last breath.

With the help of neighbors, they held a simple funeral for her mother, and then she packed up the house to enter the orphanage.

She spent the last night on Jera’s bed, which was cold but still carried her mother’s scent.

‘Mom’s smell…’

She soaked the pillow with tears and soon fell asleep to the sound of pouring rain.

Rustle.

Finding something under the pillow, she uncovered two letters.

[To Sera. Sera… Our Sera… Leaving you while you’re still so young is such a painful thing. But there will be many friends your age at the orphanage, more than when it was just you and me… In fact, you have a father who cherishes and loves you dearly. You are never alone. But I can’t send you to him yet. It might be dangerous if your grandfather is still around… When you become an adult and your pheromone manifests. Open the other letter then. I’ve sealed it with my pheromone, so you’ll be able to open it when yours manifests. Read the letter and try to find your father. I’m sure he’ll be very happy to see you. I trust your father. I love you. Sera. P.S. Look for your father when you can protect your own body. Feria will always be by your side.]

Sera, who had just swallowed her tears and tried to sleep, found tears streaming down her face again.

Tears from Sera’s eyes fell onto the letter, smudging the words.

“Ah… Mom… I miss you already… I don’t need someone like Dad… Mom.. Sob sob…”

As if reflecting Sera’s heart, the rain poured down even harder.

Finally, with her heart calmed, Sera thought,

‘I won’t cry anymore. I have to show her that I’m living bravely. But Mom’s name isn’t Feria.. It’s the name she had before the man called Grandfather gave her a new one..’

Another letter was sealed with pheromone as her mother had said. Only a pheromone connected with the same pheromone could open it.

‘I wonder if I can open this when I become an adult..’

.

.

.

‘Ahh. Without pheromone, I can’t even open the letter..!’

Sera clutched her head and pulled at her hair even more.

“In Sera’s case, there’s one more peculiar point.”

“…Yes? What is that?”

“If the prayer didn’t reach the gods, there should be no pheromone manifestation, nor any sexual desire. Additionally, you wouldn’t be able to feel sexual pleasure. That’s how it has been in all previous cases.”

Sherburn, puzzled by the situation he was encountering for the first time, spoke.

“That’s why they usually walk the path of a priest.”

“Oh. Then, Priest Sherburn, are you also..?”

“No. I manifested normally. I walk the path of a priest purely to serve the gods and help many people.”

Sherburn gave quite a refreshing smile.

‘It’s better to have someone like you to enjoy, but… too bad. Just like yesterday… tsk…’

Unaware of Sherburn’s impure intentions, Sera asked.

“Aha… So you’re saying that even though I didn’t have a pheromone manifestation, I can still have sexual desire and feel pleasure?”

“Yes. That’s right. Actually, with Sera…”

Sherburn stammered, looking uncomfortable as he continued.

“When I kissed Sera, I felt guilty.”

“What? I-I said it was okay to kiss! I understand it was an unavoidable situation. It’s alright! Priest Sherburn.”

“That’s not it.”

Sherburn frowned slightly, then relaxed his expression and spoke firmly.

“Sera, you need to find your name.”

‘Huh? Just now… his expression seemed a bit… off…’

Sera looked at Sherburn silently. Sherburn exhaled and continued speaking.

“You feel sexual desire and pleasure, but you won’t be able to feel relief, Sera.”

“Uh… why? Can’t I just… have a relationship?”

“It won’t be possible. Because you don’t have pheromones, Sera. What I’m saying is not just about calming pheromone overdrive, but human desires. You’ll struggle because you can’t relieve sexual desire and pleasure itself. Even with masturbation, there’s a limit to what you can relieve. The more you do it, the more you’ll crave greater pleasure.”

“What do you mean…?”

“…Kissing you, Sera, was… unpleasant and disgusting for me.”

“What?! U-unpleasant and disgusting?!!”