The Knight of Light plants the sun in the eternal night.

"Oh God, by the Holy Light, we..."

At three o'clock in the morning, after the plum blossoms had bloomed again, the Countess covered her face and hid in Leo's arms.

Leo embraced the Countess, his face radiant with a holy glow: "Madam, body and soul must always be on the road."

"You're always so thought-provoking." The Countess moved her hand away, tilted her head back to look at Leo's chin, and wore a look of contentment like a little woman. She was a completely different person from the noble and dignified lady who stepped down from the carriage.

Leo smiled.

I'm actually a bit tired and don't want to talk.

However, the Countess recovered remarkably quickly and remained full of energy, sometimes giggling like a little girl, and other times frowning deeply: "Leo, will the Holy Light punish us? As walkers of the Holy Light, yet we secretly..."

"How could that be? This is the will of the Holy Light."

"How could the Holy Light guide us to do... to do such a thing?" The Countess began to feel anxious again. "What should I do, Rio? I feel so, so guilty right now."

Touching the Countess's delicate, smooth skin on her shoulder, and looking at her face with the innocent charm of a young girl.

Leo couldn't help but say, "You're so adorable, madam."

He kissed the Countess on the forehead, inhaling the scent of sweat mixed with soap in her hair, and gently comforted her: "Don't feel guilty. You're widowed, and I'm single. Being together is the guidance of divine light."

The countess looked at him with her big, watery eyes.

He continued, "Think about it, you are a bishop, and I may become a bishop in the future. We are both chosen by the Holy Light, so our actions are naturally tacitly approved by the Holy Light. The Holy Light allows us to do this."

"Is that how it can be explained, Leo?" The Countess wrinkled her nose and chuckled.

"Of course, my wife."

"Don't call me Madam, Leo, call me by my name, Mariana." The Countess hugged Leo tightly.

Leo smiled and refused, "No, I prefer to call you Madam, Madam, it makes me feel more comfortable."

"Oh, you're getting aroused again?"

"Yes."

"Holy Light!"

"It is the Holy Light that is guiding us."

"Holy Light, I will go to the monastery to repent to you... Ah... Hmm..." The Countess hummed a long, trembling sound through her nose.

Splash!

It started raining outside the window sometime earlier.

Perhaps the Holy Light was weeping for the Countess's repentance, or perhaps it was applauding Leo's brilliant interpretation.

……

"You should go back, Leo."

Why?

"It's almost dawn, Poppy and the others will be here soon," the Countess said, yawning as she spoke.

Leo, who had just felt a pang of guilt, suddenly lay back down: "Madam, so what if Poppy and the others find out? We've fallen in love. Shouldn't our servants be happy for us?"

He looked directly into the Countess's eyes.

The Countess paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "You're right. Leo and Poppy are my people; they're maids I brought from Lampwick Castle."

The subtext of this statement is that these maids are her family.

Not the maid of Taro Burger.

Therefore, they would naturally prioritize the Countess's interests and consider her interests in everything they did, rather than the Taro Castle or the late Earl of Long Taro, thus betraying the Countess's actions.

"Then let's sleep a little longer."

"Hmm... but I still feel a little uncomfortable. I'm all sticky and sweaty. Oh my god, I never knew this kind of thing could be so... wonderful."

As she spoke, she kissed Leo and then said in a serious tone, "I am now an unclean slut, Leo."

At that moment, Leo felt a surge of inspiration.

Suddenly realizing the meaning behind the lines, he decisively confessed, "My lady, you are perfect in my eyes. If you are willing, may the holy light bear witness, I want to be with you forever."

Then he got out of bed, knelt on one knee, and took the Countess's small hand: "Marianne Rush, will you leave Taro Castle, marry me, and become my wife, Leo Glowing Fungus?"

The countess covered her mouth with her other hand.

Tears streamed down her face, a mixture of surprise and emotion welling up inside her. She choked out, "I do, I really do... but I can't, Leo. I'm thirty-two, and you're only sixteen."

"I don't care," Leo said firmly.

"But I care!" The more Leo said this, the more the Countess pulled herself out of her agitation.

She hugged Leo, her voice full of apology: "I'm sorry, Leo, I really can't accept your proposal. It's not just because of the age gap between us, but also because I can't leave Taro Castle."

Leo inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, looking disappointed, she asked, "Why?"

"I cannot tarnish the reputation of the Taro and the Rush family. Eric, the late Earl, was very good to me and never forced me to do anything... My father married me off to him to obtain money and revive the family..."

Through the Countess's slow recounting, Leo learned about her family background.

The Juncus family is facing the risk of bankruptcy due to poor territory management.

Left with no other choice, the baron could only resort to marrying his daughter, Mariane, to obtain enough wealth to support the castle's expenses.

However, in this situation, it is clear that a suitable marriage cannot be arranged.

After all, marriage alliances between noble families are always intended to bring benefits, and who knows if Marilena's family might become a bottomless pit of trouble.

At this time, Count Eric of Long Taro, who was already over fifty years old, extended an olive branch.

"Eric is a good man, but he's different." The Countess didn't know how to describe him.

Leo had already gleaned a lot from the Countess's reactions in bed: "You mean, he doesn't like women?"

"Oh, how did you know?"

"Just a guess."

"Yes, he didn't like women, but he had to marry a wife, and I had to endure it for the sake of the family. I just didn't expect that he would leave only three years after the marriage... I wanted to leave Taro Castle many times, after all, I didn't even have a child!"

However, for the sake of her family and to be able to support the Juncus family with some money each year, she had to continue playing the role of the Countess.

"Has Earl Eric been married before, and does he have any sons?"

"no."

"How was the matter of the earl's heir resolved?"

"He's his grand-nephew, only six years old, named Evan. He was chosen by the elders among the distant relatives of the family and received the king's approval." The Countess sighed. "My responsibility is to raise him to adulthood and then ensure his smooth inheritance of the Earl's title."

"I've put you through so much, Mariana." Leo hugged the Countess tightly. "From now on, you will no longer need to struggle alone, because you have me. I, Leo the Glowing Fungus, will always be behind you!"

"You're so kind, Leo."

"Because I fell in love with you at first sight," Leo smiled. "I am your loyal knight, entrust everything to me, my lady."