“Yupheon Arne overthrew his father Johannes and usurped the position of Pope, then confined him in the Holy Land.”

I heard the news two months later from one of the spies I had planted throughout the continent.

Less than a day later, the news that he had become the new Pope of the Holy Nation was officially announced.

‘That’s impossible.’

His Holiness Johannes was the guardian of both Yuphe and me.

I found it hard to believe since I knew better than anyone how much he respected his father Johannes.

I visited the Grand Temple to confirm the facts, but he was too busy preparing for his coronation ceremony and refused to meet me.

And at the coronation ceremony that followed, I spotted familiar faces. Yuria and Niel.

Yuria was already being called a Saint by people, though she hadn’t been officially recognized as one by the Arne Order.

She was simply attending as the official partner of Duke Alpenhayer.

But at this moment, Yuphe, who had just announced his becoming the new Pope, suddenly came down from the platform.

“Y-Your Holiness…?”

“The coronation ceremony isn’t over yet…”

As the hall stirred at his sudden unexpected action.

“I, Yupheon Arne, the most devout servant of Lord Arne, greet the messenger of God.”

He stopped in front of Yuria, took her hand, and knelt down.

“Saint Yuria, bring spring to the continent.”

Yuphe said as he kissed the back of her hand. The Pope of the Holy Nation had just proclaimed Yuria as a Saint.

The priests also looked surprised as if this hadn’t been agreed upon beforehand, but soon they applauded.

Yuria smiled broadly, delighted.

Yuphe glanced at Niel, who was standing beside Yuria, then slightly bowed his head and whispered something in Yuria’s ear.

Yuria’s face flushed red as she nodded at him.

Yuphe looked at her lovingly and smiled gently.

The two of them smiling at each other looked so perfect together. Just like protagonists in a novel…

“….”

I stared at them with a blank face. It felt like I had been suddenly hit hard on the back of my head.

‘So this is how… it follows the original plot?’

It was so sudden that I was bewildered. If he had fallen for Yuria at first sight, I wouldn’t have been this perplexed.

Wasn’t he the one who had shown an indifferent attitude toward Yuria until just two months ago?

‘How can the plot development lack such coherence?’

Is this what they call the power of the original work?

Fine. Whether they fall in love or whatever, it wasn’t important to me.

I waited for the coronation ceremony to end and then went to see Yuphe.

“What is it?”

He spoke with an obviously annoyed voice as he stood at the doorway.

It was definitely the first time Yuphe had shown such an attitude toward me.

Over his shoulder, I could see a visitor inside. Blonde hair with purple eyes…

‘Yuria?’

My eyes widened. After whispering secretly to each other earlier, it seems they were having a secret meeting here without Niel knowing.

“I have something to ask you. Can you spare a moment?”

In any case, I couldn’t bring up matters related to His Holiness Johannes in front of Yuria.

“Just say it here.”

“It’s about His Holiness Johannes.”

“If it’s about that, I don’t have anything to say.”

I became a bit angry at his attitude, openly showing annoyance at the prospect of talking with me.

‘Even if his time with Yuria is important, this is about His Holiness Johannes, not some trivial matter!’

Unable to hold back, I snapped in a cold voice.

“If you act like this, I’ll tell everyone that you’re having a secret meeting with Duke Alpenhayer’s lover.”

At that moment, his expression turned cold.

“Are you threatening me over Yuria?”

“Yes, I’m threatening you.”

Though he asked in a menacing voice, what did I care?

I glared back at him with equally frightening eyes and nodded slightly.

After a brief standoff, he turned away from me and approached Yuria. Then, unlike how he had just spoken to me, he addressed her in a gentle voice.

“Yuria. I think I need to talk with that woman.”

What? That woman?

I couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief at the way he referred to me.

“Ah, then Yuphe…”

Yuria glanced at me, then grabbed the hem of his clothes and whispered something in his ear again.

“Yes, I will.”

Yuphe smiled softly and stroked her head.

I was dumbfounded by the way he looked at Yuria with such sweet eyes, as if honey would drip from them.

After sending Yuria out, he let me in.

He asked with his arms crossed irritably.

“So. What did you want to ask?”

“I heard something strange. That you overthrew His Holiness Johannes and confined him somewhere.”

“You came all this way just to ask about that?”

“Just? Why is your attitude…”

I was about to question his attitude when.

“That’s right. I overthrew him.”

“…!”

For a moment, I stared at him, speechless.

“That senile old man kept misunderstanding and trying to interfere. So I had no choice, Jella. I had to protect my love.”

Yuphe said with a slight smile.

Not understanding his words for a moment, I stammered.

“Don’t tell me, because of Yuria…?”

He didn’t answer, but his deeper smile served as a response.

“You, how could you do such a thing…!”

As I shouted in anger, he snickered and taunted me.

“So. Is the Emperor of the Empire trying to interfere in the affairs of the Holy Nation?”

Slap!

His cheek turned.

“Trash…”

“….”

“The real trash is you. At least Niel didn’t commit such an unfilial act just because he was blinded by love.”

“….”

“Even when he requested to break off our engagement, he acted respectfully. He didn’t suddenly treat me like a stranger like you did.”

“….”

“You are truly, truly trash. The worst trash.”

“….”

He touched the area where I had hit him, his lips tightly closed.

The spot I had slapped was swollen and red, but I wasn’t sorry. I would never be sorry.

“….”

“….”

After glaring at him silently for a while, I turned away.

“…Don’t worry too much. He’s living well and eating well in a good place.”

His subdued voice added from behind me. Though emotions welled up, I walked out without looking back at him.

And that was our last private encounter.

After that, I never met him in private, and even at official events, he was always by Yuria’s side.

And the relationship between us became more extreme. Yuria was always at the center, and before we knew it, we had become less than strangers.

That’s why.

That’s why I felt strangely unsettled and had mixed emotions about the familiar tenderness he showed me in front of Count Pluna’s mansion.

‘I don’t like that woman. Really. I’ve never liked her.’

In fact, that day, I wanted to question his words.

If he really didn’t like Yuria, then what was it that I saw? What was all that behavior toward me?

But I held back.

‘It doesn’t concern me anymore anyway.’

I had said goodbye to my past life where I had no choice but to be a villain, hated by everyone and destined to die for everyone.

So I didn’t want to be bound by old relationships anymore.

But within a day, he reversed what he had said yesterday and appeared holding Yuria’s hand, as if to deceive me.

Then he suddenly changed his attitude, grabbed my hand as if to protect me, and ran away.

And then, just like when we were children, when we were carefree and simply happy, he acted affectionately again.

I was even more angry knowing that his gentle behavior—removing strands of hair stuck to my forehead one by one and blowing softly—was a habit that came unconsciously.

He knew my identity. He clearly knew that I was Jella Shunaibel.

Knowing this, he pretended not to recognize me and hovered around me.

When I called out, “Yuphe.”

He shamelessly replied, “Yes, Jella.”

“So you really did know.”

A hollow laugh escaped me.

“I had no intention of hiding it.”

My voice that flowed from my mouth was cold, as if it wasn’t my own.

“What are you doing?”

When I asked coldly, he smiled faintly and answered.

“What am I doing? I’m just…”

“When we first met at the imperial palace, you knew from then, didn’t you? That I was Jella.”

“….”

Yupheon’s mouth remained closed. The faint smile that had lingered on his face gradually faded.

Soon, he nodded.

“Yes.”

Seeing him readily admit it, I tightly clenched my fists until it hurt.

“You and I aren’t on such friendly terms that we should greet each other with smiles.”

“…Yes.”

His voice grew smaller.