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 1/4 🎉)

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

Chamuka asked.

“I never knew fear felt like this. Do people normally live feeling this way?”

Leticia answered while avoiding his gaze.

“I don’t know. It’s different for everyone. Some people might be more emotional, while others might be less emotional…”

“….”

“Since your curse was just lifted, Lord Chamuka, you might be feeling even minor emotions more intensely.”

“No, it’s only with you.”

Whether this kind of talk was awkward, uncomfortable, or both, Leticia’s expression froze.

Chamuka was about to add that his emotions were uncontrollable only when it came to Leticia, but changed his words.

“If you don’t like me talking about this, I won’t.”

Had it become easier to guess others’ feelings since the curse was lifted? He could notice which topics Leticia was uncomfortable with.

“It’s not that I dislike it, but I don’t know what answer I should give you. I’m afraid I might give the wrong answer.”

“I want to hear your words, not the right answer. I don’t mind if your words are wrong.”

“But it matters to me.”

“Why?”

“Because I like Lord Chamuka.”

For a moment, it felt like his heart stopped.

Unaware of Chamuka’s reaction, Leticia continued.

“I like Lady Astrid, and I like Lord Tan… Actually, I like all your family members. We’re family, after all.”

The statement ‘I like you because we’re family’ was different from what Chamuka wanted.

Chamuka was gradually realizing how unique and special his affection for Leticia was.

“Lord Chamuka, you once said you wanted to make me your brother. That you wanted to become a real family.”

“That was when I was young and didn’t know better. It’s different now. I-”

“What if it’s a misunderstanding? What if it’s just a mistake because your curse was just lifted?”

“How?”

How could it be a mistake? It’s so different.

He had never felt the same emotions toward other family members as he did when looking at Leticia. It wasn’t even close.

Chamuka didn’t feel anxious when Tan wasn’t around, nor did he feel his heart sink when Kalia frowned.

“What if it was just brotherly affection, but later, after becoming lovers, you realize it was a mistake-”

“That’s impossible.”

“You don’t know that. Lord Chamuka, you still don’t understand emotions well.”

He felt so frustrated that he wanted to write a thesis to prove the emotions he felt toward Leticia and their intensity.

However, at Leticia’s next words, Chamuka couldn’t say anything.

“I can’t give you a hasty answer when it might be your misunderstanding. Because lovers can never go back to being family.”

“….”

“And I like Lord Chamuka too much to become strangers with you.”

So, it was a perfect rejection that didn’t even consider the possibility of becoming lovers.

Leticia probably didn’t think of it as a rejection, but that’s how Chamuka took it.

What made it even more maddening was that he could understand her reasoning to some extent.

Just imagining becoming strangers with Leticia made him feel like his heart would tear apart.

And if they really became strangers, it probably wouldn’t be a metaphor, but he would literally tear his own heart…

Chamuka realized for the first time that he was such an emotionally rich person.

***

Tan lifted Kalia, who was blinking sleepy eyes, to his eye level.

He still disliked Chamuka, but somehow his sister’s face, identical to Chamuka’s, bothered him less now.

Was it the effect of the curse being lifted?

“Hmm.”

“What. Really…”

Kalia, half-asleep, mumbled and smacked Tan’s forehead.

Even with the curse lifted, her temperament remained the same.

Well, Kalia was barely affected by the curse to begin with. That must have been her original temperament.

Hmm…

He had thought that when the curse was lifted, people would become nicer or something…

Tan, who was the second least affected by the curse after Kalia, examined his own condition and came to a conclusion.

The range of his emotions had just broadened a bit.

He liked what he liked even more, and disliked what he disliked even more. Emotions that had felt ambiguous became a little clearer.

Smack. Kalia’s hand hit Tan’s forehead once more.

“Stop it…”

Unlike her weak mumbling voice, her palm was full of strength. It was even a bit hot, as if she had infused it with magic.

Such a temper.

“You need to eat something. Open your eyes. Stop sleeping.”

Perhaps because the ambiguous family-like affection had become clearer, Tan had prepared a meal for Kalia himself.

Unlike the cold bread he had thrown to the Grand Mage lying in the next room, he had even made soup.

“Say ah. Open your eyes and mouth. Quickly.”

Tan urged, personally holding a spoon to Kalia’s mouth.

Kalia, who had shaken off some of her drowsiness, looked at Tan strangely.

At her look that seemed to ask why he was doing something he never did before, Tan said, “After you eat, we’ll go find Leti. Eat quickly.”

He could get praised by Astrid for taking good care of his sister, and also take care of a baby that could capture Leticia’s attention.

Although that baby had the disadvantage of looking exactly like Chamuka, now that the curse was lifted, it seemed possible to develop something like affection for her.

‘Besides, thinking positively, Leti thinks that guy’s face is pretty, so if it’s the same face but a baby, she’ll like this one more.’

However, unaware of Tan’s thoughts, Kalia asked suspiciously.

“Are you taking me with you?”

“Of course. Let’s eat quickly and get dressed so we can leave soon.”

Although Kalia couldn’t shake off her suspicious gaze, she completely fell for the irresistible bait that was Leticia.

Eventually, the siblings, having finished all their meals and preparations, left the expensive inn that had cost Colin tears of blood.

Unlike Chamuka, who only pulled his cloak low, trusting his ability to conceal his presence, Tan carefully covered his hair with a hat and wore glasses too. Kalia did the same, of course.

Tan was a boy who knew exactly what to do to receive praise.

And Tan arrived at Colin’s two-story house, where Leticia was staying, only to encounter Chamuka, who would never praise him no matter what he did.

“Where have you hidden Leti?”

“Get out.”

The brothers who faced each other were no different than before the curse was lifted. They were more like enemies than brothers.

Colin’s two-story house was destroyed in their fight, and Kalia didn’t care whether they fought or not, but she was annoyed that no one answered her question about where Leticia was.

And that annoyance called forth flames…

“What is this suddenly-”

That was why Leticia, returning home with complicated feelings about Sir Borba, witnessed the two half-n*ked brothers in a half-burned house.

“….”

In a place where sparks that hadn’t yet extinguished were rolling on the floor, Tan was pinned under Chamuka, who was wearing something like the remains of burned clothes.

Chamuka, who had been straddling Tan’s back, unconsciously loosened the fist that was about to strike the back of Tan’s neck.

The tense muscles of his back suddenly became docile.

But faster than Chamuka’s response was Tan, who relaxed his body and pitifully murmured.

“Leti, I’m hurt…”

The trembling tips of Tan’s fingers reaching toward Leticia were perfect for catching her attention.

And Kalia, who didn’t care at all about the brothers sprawled on the floor, stepped on Tan’s back and jumped straight into Leticia’s arms.

“Leti!”

“It’s dangerous to run in a place like this!”

Tan, who had relaxed only to be trampled by Kalia, flapped around, but Leticia’s attention was already focused on Kalia.

“Are you alright? Can you summon fire now? No magical depletion?”

“Yes! They said I’m a magician just like mom and Leti now.”

Ignoring the half-n*ked brothers getting up behind her, Kalia added shyly.

“I want to be Leti’s apprentice.”

“Since I use water and Lady Kalia uses fire, that won’t work…”

“It won’t?”

“Hmm. The magic tower will introduce you to a more excellent teacher than me.”

Around the time Leticia’s gaze, which had awkwardly smiled and indirectly refused, finally reached the ash-covered men, Kalia pouted and shouted.

“Then marry me!”