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 1/4 🎉)

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

Leticia’s closed eyes, which had been wandering through the past, slowly opened.

Leticia extinguished the approaching flames with a flick and slowly crossed the hall. With each step she took, the flames died out.

With flames that posed no threat to her at all, Leticia no longer harbored regrets like ‘If only it had been like this 10 years ago.’

It was something that couldn’t be undone.

She had accepted her past.

Now Chamuka stood at the large doorway that had collapsed in the fire.

Leticia slowly approached him. Though his clothes were somewhat covered in soot, his face remained clean.

Despite the mess around them, his handsome face seemed to shine.

Leticia smiled slightly at Chamuka’s suspiciously clean face. Then she asked.

“Have you finished rescuing the hostages?”

Chamuka nodded.

“Did you come just to get me?”

“Yes.”

“It’s not even dangerous; you could have just rested first.”

“I wanted to see you sooner.”

This time, Leticia didn’t awkwardly freeze or become flustered at his words. She just smiled quietly and agreed with him.

“Me too. It was a bit lonely being here alone. Thank you for coming. Really.”

Chamuka gazed down at Leticia’s face as she spoke, then, after a pause, reluctantly opened his mouth.

“Everyone’s outside. My mother, and your brother too.”

“I know. But they’re hiding. They don’t seem to want to show themselves.”

Actually, she knew from seeing Chamuka’s clean face. That her master had come.

Leticia wasn’t oblivious, so when she saw that only Chamuka’s face had been magically cleaned before he was sent alone, she understood the situation to some extent.

It was her master’s scheme to let Chamuka score points with her.

Perhaps she felt sorry for always dismissing her son’s pure feelings, or maybe she judged that her education had finally succeeded.

In truth, the reason didn’t matter. What mattered was that Leticia had decided to go along with it just this once.

In this burning place that had been Leticia’s nightmare for the past 10 years, she had wanted to try holding hands with Chamuka and walking out together, just the two of them.

Gladly, if Chamuka wanted it.

But Chamuka didn’t do that.

“You said you were lonely. I thought you’d be happier seeing more of your people.”

He told her that many people besides him had come looking for her.

Despite preferring to be alone with her, simply because she said she was lonely.

“Mother is right in front of the hall-”

At that moment, a splash of water poured down on Chamuka’s head.

“Stupid son!”

Astrid, who appeared behind Chamuka, looked utterly exasperated.

“I hid myself for your sake, and you just blurt it out?! I sacrificed myself to hold back these rebellious ones!”

Leticia spotted Tan and Luka, who had been suspended upside down from the ceiling by Astrid, now slumped on the floor, dry heaving.

Leticia found this situation too funny to contain herself. She finally burst into loud laughter.

What a sight in the middle of the burning palace.

After laughing uncontrollably, Leticia finally stopped, wiping away tears as she spoke.

“Teacher. When clothes are covered in soot but only the face is clean, anyone can tell it was magically cleaned. Did you think I wouldn’t notice? Of course, I knew you were already here.”

“My son may be stupid, but fortunately,y my disciple is smart.”

Astrid pushed aside the soaking wet Chamuka and hugged Leticia tightly.

Leticia giggled weakly in the familiar warmth and asked.

“Where is His Grace?”

“Ferik is downstairs. Guarding the carriage. Can’t leave it unattended or the horses might run away.”

His status has fallen below even the horses now.

Leticia giggled, thinking about the Grand Duke who now had none of the dignity she had first seen ten years ago.

“Ah, Ferik brought Kalia too.”

“Shouldn’t Lady Kalia be sleeping at this hour?”

“She threatened to burn down the inn if we didn’t show you to her. The child already takes after someone.”

Astrid immediately attributed all bad traits to Ferik.

As Leticia was being led out of the burning hall by her hand, she suddenly turned her head.

Her eyes met Chamuka’s.

She reached out and grabbed Chamuka’s damp sleeve, dispelling the moisture covering his body.

“Leti, why show such consideration to that fool? An idiot who wastes the opportunity to be alone with you doesn’t deserve your kindness.”

“I actually prefer that he gave up the chance to be alone with me. Truly. I like Chamuka more for it.”

Chamuka’s gaze instantly deepened.

He opened his mouth.

“Then with me…”

“But not enough to date with marriage in mind.”

At her firm interruption, Chamuka closed his mouth.

Leticia detected a dejected look on Chamuka’s expressionless face. And with a small smile, she let go of his sleeve.

Turning away from him, taking her master’s hand again, leaving the burning hall, facing her brother Luka.

Leticia didn’t look back at Chamuka again.

As she said, it really wasn’t time yet.

Not yet.

But she had a feeling that someday she would come to like him.

And the certainty that no matter when that day came, he would wait for her.

Even if I give no answer, no opening, no certainty, whenever I turn around, you’ll be there.

Now, Leticia could acknowledge it.

He loves me. Clearly.

Perhaps for a very long time. Maybe until death.

***

Holding the drowsy Kalia in front of the large carriage, Leticia mentioned something that had just occurred to her.

“Ah, we can’t go to Luka’s place. Even though it’s closer, let’s just go back to the inn we were staying at.”

The homeowner, Luka, asked in confusion.

“Why?”

“Nathan said he’s going to confess to Aina there tonight.”

“It’s my house?!”

“It hasn’t been your house for a long time; it’s been a base of operations. You never really treated it like a real home anyway. You said you’d give up the house and leave the capital as soon as your revenge was complete. Just think of it as moving out early.”

Kalia, who was contentedly dozing in Leticia’s arms, mumbled.

“Letiiiii… are we going home now?”

Astrid, who had Ferik clinging to her back, turned to Leticia and asked.

“What do you think, Leti? Shall we go home like this?”

Leticia froze momentarily, then stared at Luka’s face, which was clouding over with resignation.

“Where will you go, brother?”

“I’m planning to leave the capital for a while. I’m not sure what will happen, but I’m thinking of starting a theater troupe. So what I mean is… Leti. I won’t be getting in that carriage to go to the Grand Duchy.”

Luka smiled bitterly and hugged Leticia.

“We’re not parting completely like we did 10 years ago. We’ll be happy in our own places, and we can visit each other occasionally.”

Leticia watched Luka release her and step back, then turned to Astrid.

“Your Grace. Home is a place you can always return to, that’s why it’s home. Right?”

Astrid’s eyes widened for a moment before she burst into laughter. Soon, her hand touched Leticia’s head.

“That’s right. I’ll always be waiting for you.”

‘Anytime, not just now.’ Astrid added, sending Leticia a look that mixed regret and pride.

Leticia now understood what Astrid had wanted to teach her.

How not to doubt their affection.

That no matter what choices she made, what life she lived, their affection would remain unchanged.

That’s why Leticia could hold onto Luka.

“I’m going to follow you, brother. I don’t know how long I’ll stay with you. But I think I’d regret it if I just let you go now.”

Looking at Luka’s surprised eyes, Leticia smiled without a trace of shadow.

“You said you’re going to start a theater troupe? Good. I’ll be the first actor in your troupe.”

“You’re deciding something like this so suddenly? What if you regret it…!”

“If I regret it, I can always go back. My home will keep waiting for me.”

Anytime, in that same place.

As will the people I love.