How to Tame My Beastly Husband

How to Tame My Beastly Husband — Chapter 65. Infiltration (2)

At last, it was time for her performance. Nervously, Annette pulled on the ceremonial mask, completing her disguise. Railin led the way out of the crypt, and Annette watched his back as she walked slowly behind him.

“Do you think it wise for you to go out looking like that?” she asked. His body was painted with bronze pigment, and he was wearing a dark chiton like an ancient god. His ominous appearance was jarring in the sunny afternoon.

Hesitantly, Annette followed him, keeping a little distance between them. She feared discovery because of his odd appearance. But as they approached the temple, this fear vanished.

“Who are all these people?” She asked, looking at all the others. “Why do they look like that?”

The temple grounds were crowded with people, and several of the men were dressed the same as Railin. In fact, there were some people whose costumes were even more bizarre. There were men with goat horns on their heads like ancient demons, and others with a painted black mask around their eyes. There were women wearing wings made of white chicken feathers. Compared to them, Railin looked almost normal. He bowed his head.

“Oh, no wonder you were so surprised. It’s your first time attending the autumn ceremony, isn’t it?”

“Yes. I’ve never frequented the temple,” Annette confessed frankly. The Kingdom of Deltium was not religiously pious. Of course, the existence of God was acknowledged, and priests were respected, but when it came to individual belief, the situation was a little different.

Religious freedom was allowed in Deltium. But religion itself was discouraged, for fear that over-reliance on a religion would undermine royal authority. Those who believed participated in religious customs, and those who did not believe were permitted their disinterest. Annette’s father was a noted unbeliever.

Only weak men need a God.

Annette remembered the cold precision of Allamand’s lips, the contempt in his voice. She had had no choice but to abide by his word, like an obedient daughter. She had felt more like his property than a person.

Remembering this, her expression was grim, and as soon as Railin saw it, he wanted to distract her. He caught her hand.

“……?”

Annette lifted her head to look up at him. She had already told him not to recklessly touch her body, and he had done it again. But just as she was about to scold him, Railin slipped a thin silver bracelet on her wrist.

“This bracelet will aid your deception,” he said. “In your mind, think the word, shine.”

His eyes arced like a crescent moon, and Annette looked at the bracelet on her wrist, puzzled. Reflexively, she thought shine, and to her surprise a subtle glow, like that of a firefly, came to rest in her palm. The bracelet seemed to be manifesting some power.

“Give it back after you’re done with it, it’s valuable,” said Railin. “Usually we don’t lend it out, but you’re a special customer.”

“Thank you, it’s a very interesting bracelet. I’ll take good care of it,” Annette promised, nodding. Her hand covered the bracelet protectively, fearing she would lose it. Suddenly, Railin seemed like a sorcerer, giving out mysterious magical objects. But that was a ridiculous idea. The ancient magic had all but disappeared.

“Please, grant me the grace of the Holy Goddess, o faithful servant of the Goddess.”

At that moment, she realized how she was meant to use the bracelet. Annette cleared her throat and lowered her voice to disguise it.

“The breath of the Goddess will always be with thee, devoted lamb of the Goddess,” she said, solemn as any priest. Laying her hand on the man’s head, she thought, shine. Fortunately, the light glowed in her hand, just as before, and all the people nearby exclaimed with amazement.

Once she had finished the blessing, she looked around, examining the people nearby. It was easier to quietly observe when she was wearing a mask, and no one seemed to suspect her after such an excellent performance.

Maybe too excellent.

“Bless me, too!”

“No, I am next, get out of the way!”

“Please make a line!”

In an instant, a long line formed before her, and she watched it in quiet panic. Did she really have to bless every single one? She would be trapped in this place until the sun went down. And she was very worried that the other priests might discover her, with all this commotion she was causing.

In short, she was in trouble.