Hello, Readers! I am celebrating my birthday with extra chapter updates, so please enjoy this special chapter release of 4 bonus chapters! 🥳

(Lurelia’s Birthday Bonus – Update 4/4 🎉)

♡ To all readers who purchased these chapters before my Birthday: I can’t express this enough – Thank you for your support. (*ˊᗜˋ*)/ᵗᑋᵃᐢᵏ ᵞᵒᵘ*

A raspy voice escaped from the body that had been dead for a long time.

“…died?”

To that dazed question, the priests explained what had happened after his death.

After Yupheon offered his heart on the altar, the priests discovered his body belatedly.

They mourned the Pope’s death following the Saint’s death, but the timing was awkward to announce the Pope’s death.

It was a chaotic time with the conflict between rebels and the imperial family across the continent, and the Saint’s death had already been revealed.

The high priests of cardinal rank agreed to keep the Pope’s death secret until the situation stabilized.

Thus, even within the Grand Temple, only a very few knew of the Pope’s death.

But on the very day the Pope died, the gates of the divine realm opened and the sky flashed—a phenomenon that only occurred when a great oracle that would shake the world was descending.

People wondered if God’s voice had come down again, and the Grand Temple announced a false oracle to hide the Pope’s death and divert people’s attention.

The priests of the Grand Temple already had considerable antipathy toward her since it became known that Jella had killed Yuria.

So they announced that an oracle had come down to kill Jella, knowing the repercussions would be severe.

Since Yupheon had openly opposed Jella Shunaibel as an enemy of the Grand Temple while protecting Yuria, they said they thought this was all a way to continue the deceased Pope’s will.

Because Yupheon’s death was kept secret, the oracle was naturally announced in the Pope’s name.

Thus, people across the continent rose up to kill her in accordance with the oracle’s will…

Yupheon’s expression became distant as he listened to the explanation.

“Because of an oracle announced in my name… people throughout the empire took up plows and sickles, rushed into the streets… and shouted that she must be killed…”

For a moment, it felt like he couldn’t breathe.

The sharp, cursing words of people saying she should be killed seemed to buzz and echo in his ears.

As he breathed shallowly, the priests continued their explanation.

“Later, on the very day the rebels raided Castle Shunaibel, Lord Cail Aleret, who was the Emperor’s knight, betrayed the Emperor and killed her.”

“No… that’s impossible…”

Yupheon staggered to his feet.

After all he had done to nullify that oracle.

Confining his father with his own hands, opposing her, cutting open his chest and taking out his heart to offer it on the altar.

And yet.

And yet she died?

“Your Holiness? Your Holiness! Where are you go…!”

The priests, who until then had not detected anything unusual, tried to hold Yupheon back but were thrown aside by his holy power that suddenly erupted.

Formless power instantly rose from the floor and bound them tightly.

“Y-Your Holi… mmph!”

Even their mouths were sealed so they couldn’t make a sound. The priests were shocked. Everyone knew the current Pope Yupheon’s power was unprecedentedly strong, but they didn’t know it was to this extent.

Yupheon went straight to the Shunaibel Imperial Palace, which was said to be occupied by rebels.

A strange atmosphere flowed there.

“Who are you?”

The rebels blocked him and asked.

“Jella, where is she? Jella. Jella…”

Yupheon looked at them with empty eyes, searching for Jella.

As the rebel who stopped him frowned at his appearance, muttering only one name like a madman.

“If you don’t identify yourself…”

“Wait, this person is…!”

“What? His Holiness Pope Yupheon?”

“Lord Yupheon!”

Those who recognized Yupheon immediately changed their attitude and cheered for him.

The rebels guided him somewhere inside the castle.

“The other heroes are inside here.”

Heroes. Yupheon’s eyes sank coldly at that title given to those who led Jella to her death.

Creak.

The sound of the closed door opening was particularly cold and sharp.

Yupheon hurriedly stepped inside.

A coffin was placed in the empty space, and two men sat blankly beside it.

The nobleman with bright platinum hair and green eyes was Niel Alpenhayer, her former fiancé who had led the rebels to occupy this castle.

The man with a cold impression, icy silver-white hair, and blue eyes was Cail Aleret, her knight who was said to have stabbed her heart and killed her.

They didn’t turn around even though they must have heard Yupheon entering. They just stared at the woman lying in the coffin as if time had stopped.

Yupheon approached the woman.

Her luscious pink hair was beautifully spread out.

Her gently closed eyes, high nose bridge, and full lips were certainly those of the woman he knew, but her face, drained of blood and deathly white, felt like a stranger’s.

His gaze slowly moved to the dress she was wearing.

It was torn by something sharp near the chest. And the dark red bloodstain around it… why did it look so painful…

“Jella…”

Yupheon reached out his trembling hand toward her.

But the moment his carefully extended hand touched her body.

“…!”

Yupheon was startled.

Her body was cold.

Seeing her body without a trace of warmth, Yupheon instinctively realized. That she was dead. That she was really… dead…

Thud.

The fear he had been suppressing burst forth.

“No…”

Yupheon poured his holy power into her dead body, but it was useless.

The dead cannot be revived.

That was a principle that even the god who created the world could not defy.

Thus, all that remained here was her dead body.

“Jella…!”

Finally fully facing her death, Yupheon embraced her body and wailed.

“No, Jella. Jella. Jella. Please, please wake up, Jella. Jella, no. You can’t, you can’t die like this. Jella. Please… Please, wake up, Jella… ugh, hic, ughh…”

No matter how much he begged, the dead would not return.

“Ugh, ughh, ughhh…”

After sobbing for a long time and vomiting, Yupheon suddenly raised his head violently.

His sharp gaze turned to Niel and Cail, who were still sitting blankly with dazed faces.

“Why, why did you do it?”

“……”

“……”

“Why did you kill Jella?”

“……”

“……”

“Say something! You killed her!”

“……”

“……”

Despite his endless blame, the two did not refute.

He wished they would refute.

No. We didn’t kill her.

She’s not dead.

This isn’t reality.

“Why did you kill her! Why! Why! Why…! Ughhh…”

But his blame toward them returned to pierce his own skin and butcher his chest.

What difference was there between them and himself?

What difference was there between himself and those two who had hurt her, caused her pain, and ultimately failed to prevent her death?

Destructive anger boiled within him. Just as he was breathing heavily with the impulse to overturn this entire world.

He froze.

Cail Aleret, who had been looking with eyes as lifeless as a dead person’s, suddenly stirred and raised his head to stare at Yupheon.

“Ah…”

A small groan escaped from between his teeth.

Staggering toward Yupheon, Cail grabbed him and asked.

“You. Did you steal God’s breath?”

“What…?”

Momentarily confused, Yupheon questioned in a dumb voice.

Cail began to feel Yupheon’s body, then placed his hand near Yupheon’s heart and muttered.

“Here…”

Cail’s lips trembled.

“I can feel the divine energy from here.”

“What…?”

It was then.

Something like black smoke began to seep out of Cail’s chest, then transformed into the shape of a small dragon about the size of a fist.

Niel and Yupheon, who had been dazed all this time, stared at the small dragon, witnessing this strange phenomenon.

[It’s Arne’s heart!]

The small dragon shouted toward Yupheon.

[You really killed God? A human who killed God!]

Yupheon had heard this voice before. It was the voice that had told him how to kill Arne.

[No, wait. Looking now, you’re not even human? Did you perhaps offer your own heart as a sacrifice? Wow, Cail. This man is as extreme as you…]

Niel, who had been staring at the small dragon chattering to itself, muttered in a small voice.

“Dragon Helasio…? Why… is it alive?”

He seemed to know about this small dragon.

‘Helasio?’

Yupheon’s brow slightly furrowed.

Wasn’t Helasio the very dragon that the first Emperor of Shunaibel was said to have sealed?

[There’s one way to bring Jella back to life, shall I tell you?]

At this, the dragon giggled and asked the three men.

Instantly, the eyes of all three men flashed brightly.