Merry Christmas to all my readers! To celebrate, I’m treating you to extra chapter updates. Please enjoy this special release of four bonus chapters! °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°

(Lurelia’s Christmas Bonus – Update 3/4 🎉)

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“T-There’s no need for that!”

I exclaimed, pushing his face away with my palm.

His face, which had been approaching me, suddenly stopped in its tracks.

We were so close that our breaths would touch if we parted our lips.

I swallowed hard, my Adam’s apple bobbing.

Seeing this, he chuckled softly.

“You still don’t trust me, do you?”

My heart pounded at that low voice tinged with a bitter smile.

“Still? We only yesterday…”

“Yes, that’s right. We only met yesterday.”

Cail slowly moved his body away.

Only after he distanced himself could I let out a sigh.

Unlike my fluttering heart, his expression remained calm.

‘Why is he so composed? Could it be that he’s done this often?’

The way he had cupped my cheek and tilted his head intimately was so dizzying and seductive. It certainly wasn’t the skill of someone who had only done it once or twice.

Though I wasn’t in a position to interfere with his love life…

‘Even so, this isn’t right!’

I disliked the idea of Cail meeting and parting with women so easily.

There was no basis or logic to it. It was just an emotion-driven conclusion.

“Hey.”

I called out to him cautiously.

“You shouldn’t do this with just anyone.”

“Just anyone…?”

His usually neat eyebrows curved somewhat crookedly.

Oh, my. To think Cail would show such an insolent attitude.

The Cail Aleret I remembered was always obedient to me.

Every time this newly encountered version of him showed such behavior, I felt a bit confused.

He would speak as if recognizing me as ‘Jella Shunaibel’, yet show sides he would never show to ‘Jella Shunaibel’.

Of course, either way, I was in a position where I had to insist until the end that I wasn’t Jella Shunaibel, but…

“Yes. Just anyone.”

As I emphasized once more, he asked in a stiff voice, his expression hardening.

“And you? Were you planning to spend a day with just anyone?”

“Me? When?”

“Ah, I suppose that man wasn’t just anyone. Unlike me.”

…It was clear. Cail Aleret was now being sarcastic with me.

I protested in a somewhat indignant voice.

“No, my being with Young Count Amets was…”

“Ah. Young Count Amets… You even know that man’s name. It was indeed a planned approach.”

Cail interrupted me in a chilling voice, repeating the name as if to commit it to memory.

“Young Count Amets, Young Count Amets, Young Count Amets…”

Why, why did that muttering seem to be filled with madness?

Somehow, I felt like I had made a huge mistake regarding Young Count Amets.

‘Let’s get away from this messy fountain first. If we talk calmly again, he’ll understand.’

It seemed that this place was the problem.

Even as Cail and I were having this precarious conversation, couples all around were openly engaging in embarrassing displays of affection.

“Let’s first move to…”

Just as I was about to stand up to change our location.

Swoosh!

Shook, shook!

Small daggers imbued with sharp killing intent flew towards us from the darkness.

“Danger!”

I quickly pushed Cail behind me and deflected the incoming daggers with the side of my hand.

Thud, thud, thud…

The sharp daggers fell powerlessly to the ground.

As I was thinking how strangely familiar this situation felt, I suddenly came face to face with a pink shadow rushing in from the side.

“Huh…?”

“Ah…?”

Our eyes met – golden irises.

It was Yupheon.

I looked at him, frozen stiff, with blurry eyes, and asked.

“…You’re not going to spout nonsense about assassins chasing you again, are you?”

“How did you know…?”

Yupheon asked, his eyes trembling.

His pale face and fragile voice were quite convincing.

I was genuinely worried.

‘Did he develop a strange hobby after Yuria’s death?’

However, because of the sin I had committed just yesterday, I didn’t question him and instead checked his body first.

“Are you feeling better now?”

“Yeah, I was thinking I needed a sick visit anyway.”

“What?”

“Our pretty one tried to poison me, and I’ve been waiting to see when you’d come visit, but you never did.”

“Poison? That was a mistake…”

“Anyway, that’s why I came myself, for a sick visit.”

Yupheon said with a bright smile.

There were many inconsistencies in his words. First of all, this wasn’t even a sick visit…

But rather than pointing those out, I was relieved about his health.

“Anyway, I’m glad you seem to be okay now.”

I let out a deep sigh.

Yesterday, I was so shocked when Yupheon suddenly started spitting blood in front of me.

“Were you very worried?”

He asked, his eyes curving gently. Somehow, he sounded pleased.

“Of course I was worried. I saw someone get hurt because of me right before my eyes…”

At that moment, I felt a hand tightly gripping the hem of my clothes.

“…?”

When I turned around with a puzzled look, Cail, who had been behind me until then, was sitting in front of the fountain, looking up at me.

“I… I’m in pain, Jella……”

He said, looking at me with a face contorted in agony.

“In pain? Where……”

Cail slightly revealed the dagger embedded in his shoulder.

“Cail!”

I was startled and examined his bleeding shoulder.

I thought I had deflected all the flying daggers, so when did he get hurt?

“Don’t be fooled! Don’t fall for it, pretty one. That bastard is trying to trick……”

“You’re the one who hurt him!”

I snapped fiercely at Yupheon. He made an aggrieved expression.

To throw a weapon at an innocent person, injuring them, and then to make a fuss! And to even look wronged after that!

At his brazenness, I raised my voice, forgetting the guilt I had felt towards him just moments ago.

“No, I…… Hah, fine, I got it. I’ll just heal him then.”

Yupheon pushed me aside and swiftly pulled out the dagger stuck in Cail’s shoulder.

Then he spread his palm over the wound and poured out his holy power.

As the golden light flowing from his hand covered Cail’s wound, it healed cleanly.

“Is that good enough now?”

Yupheon asked me, breathing heavily.

I was amazed at how much stronger his power had become since the last time I had seen him.

“Ah…… Using holy power made me dizzy……”

Suddenly, he pressed his forehead and began to collapse towards me. I slightly moved my body to avoid him.

Thud!

He fell face-first onto the floor again.

‘Who’s the one tricking now.’

I thought to myself as I extended my hand to help up Yupheon, who was looking at me with somewhat resentful eyes.

***

“I’ll escort you back.”

“I’ll take you home.”

Cail and Yupheon said to me simultaneously.

‘I just want to go alone.’

I hoped that the voice in my heart would reach them.

“The night streets are dangerous.”

“What if weapons come flying from somewhere again.”

But sadly, the voice of my heart didn’t reach them.

‘I don’t think weapons would fly if you two weren’t around.’

In the end, I walked back with both of them on either side.

‘Huh?’

The man walking in front of me dropped a piece of paper.

My gaze was drawn to the single sheet of paper fluttering down.

Without realizing it, I picked up the paper that had fallen to the ground as if entranced.

‘This is……”

It was a portrait. And of someone I knew very well…

The original novel’s protagonist, Saint Yuria, with bright blonde hair and purple eyes.

She wasn’t a dazzling beauty with an unapproachable aura like Jella from the past life, nor was she a languid, bewitching beauty like the current Jella.

However, the woman in the portrait was a beauty with a delicate impression that aroused protective instincts.

A woman with a fragile and weak atmosphere, the complete opposite image of the villainous Jella, someone who would make anyone want to protect her.

‘So that’s why they all were so hostile towards me, to protect Yuria.’

Even though I had no intention of harming Yuria at all.

“You’re really too much. Don’t you feel sorry for Lord Niel, Lord Yupheon, and Lord Cail?”

“If you have even a little remorse towards them, stop being so clingy and let them go.”

“Those gentlemen who sincerely cared for a woman like you are too pitiful…!”

Suddenly, remembering that woman’s voice made me feel quite unpleasant.

I tried hard to push away the old memories.

By the way, I thought Yuria’s portraits were illegal, so what’s going on?

“Excuse me, this……”

I tried to return Yuria’s portrait to its owner, but by then, the man had disappeared.

‘Huh, what should I do now.’

But at this moment, I felt Cail’s gaze fixed intently on Yuria’s portrait beside me.

‘Oops.’

I flinched and glanced at him nervously.