Bound To The Moon Priestess Chapter 03

Bound To The Moon Priestess Chapter 03

I had no choice but to take them and nod.

I flipped open the notebook. Inside was a box of beautifully wrapped candy.

I froze.

Leoric was already walking away.

He waved his hand back at me. “I bought ’em. Eat up. Might help you grow.”

When the priest exam came around, my herbology score was higher than Isara’s for the first time. The golden robe that had trapped me like a cage suddenly felt a little lighter.

And just like that, things thawed between us a bit.

In the forest, whenever Roran ran into me, he’d nod and say hi.

I’d sit by the river with my notebook, practicing prayers. Sometimes I’d see Roran hunting with a pack of little white hounds.

The summer breeze ran through his hair. Lost in thought, a small smile touched his lips.

And then, the next second, a pretty figure crashed into his arms.

“There you are!”

Isara glanced sideways. “Oh, you like these harmless little hounds too, just like my brother? I thought you’d go for something cooler, like a half-breed wolfdog or something…”

Roran paused.

“Your brother likes little hounds?”

“Yeah, why?”

Roran stood up. “Nothing.”

“Come on. Let’s go watch you dance the Moonlight Dance.”

The two of them walked off.

But one of the hounds ran back to me, wagging its tail eagerly. I fed it a little dog food.

After that, I stopped coming to that spot to practice.

…

Everyone knew how much Roran doted on Isara.

On her birthday, he gave her a necklace made by a deep-sea siren.

During the Summer Solstice Hunt, he bagged the biggest prey and declared it was for his Luna, Isara.

Everyone crowded around Roran and Isara, celebrating.

But I was the only one who noticed him in a corner, grimacing as he bandaged his own wound.

He leaned against a rock, looking pale, like he’d thrown up a few times.

I hesitated, then went over to help him.

“If you’re not feeling well, you can tell Isara.”

The moment my fingers touched his skin, Roran flinched and frowned. He pulled away without making it obvious.

“What are you doing here?”

I pulled my hand back. “Just passing through.”

I walked far away, but I could still feel his deep gaze on my back.

That night, I went home early.

At nine, it started drizzling. Dad looked worried. “Caelum, go pick up your sister.”

I buried my head in a book. “Someone’s already taking her home.”

Mom frowned and snapped at me. “I don’t feel good about other boys bringing her back. Caelum, since when did you become so selfish?”

The mood turned cold. Dad quickly softened his tone to comfort Mom, then shot me a disapproving look.

I silently put on my raincoat, grabbed an umbrella, and ran out.

But that night, everything went wrong.

Isara had stayed too late at the hunting party, and unluckily, we got cornered by a few rogues in the canyon.

“Caelum, what do I do? I’m so scared…”

Isara’s voice trembled, soft enough to melt anyone’s heart.

I didn’t tell her that I was scared too.

But I still stepped in front of her and said, steady as I could, “Isara, when things get messy, run toward the festival. Don’t worry about me…”

That was how it was supposed to go, right?

When we were kids and a dish broke at home, I took the blame for her.

The toy bears our parents bought—all for her.

When a huge bug showed up in her bookshelf, she screamed, pale-faced, and called for me. I comforted her, swallowed my own fear, and killed it.

Growing up, the words my parents said to me most often were—

“Caelum, swear that you’ll wear the Sun Priest’s golden robe forever, and play the part of a man.

“Isara has a weak heart. She’s too fragile to handle the backlash of the golden robe. You’re healthy—full of potential, full of talent. Be her brother. Take care of her for the rest of her life.

“Caelum! Swear it! This is our secret. You can never let anyone else know!”