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 4/4 🎉)

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

“Has Count Blanche always been this beautiful?”

“…Well. Perhaps, I’ve been pretty since birth?”

Yvette said, scratching the nape of her neck. Liliana chuckled as if amused.

“I like that, such a confident answer.”

“I can’t lie, after all.”

Yvette replied lightly as she moved her steps.

On the way to the party venue, Liliana continued to engage her in conversation on various topics.

At first, the attention felt burdensome, but as some time passed, Yvette gradually got used to it.

“I couldn’t say it earlier, but I was surprised when I first saw Count Blanche.”

“Why?”

To Yvette’s question, Liliana lowered her voice as if whispering.

“You were exactly the ideal type I was looking for.”

“Ideal type?”

“Yes. Should I say, the muse I’ve been dreaming of? Someone I’d definitely want to use as a model at least once in my life.”

At those words, Yvette’s eyes widened.

‘…Come to think of it, Liliana was originally a painter.’

Liliana was the eldest daughter of a fallen noble family, who started painting to earn money.

With her genius talent, she quickly made a name for herself as a painter and finally received an offer to be scouted as a professor at Ruhen Academy.

To be called a muse by such a person. Somehow, it made her feel shy.

“That’s too much praise.”

“Too much? Not at all.”

Liliana said, opening her eyes wide.

“If I could, I’d like to ask you to be my model right here and now.”

“Me, as a model?”

To the bewildered question, Liliana nodded.

“Yes. It doesn’t have to be today, but I’d love it if Count Blanche could be my model.”

Liliana’s eyes sparkled as she grabbed Yvette’s hand.

It seemed she wasn’t just saying it, but genuinely wanted to use her as a model.

“Yvette.”

It was at that moment.

Noel, who had been walking a few steps away, suddenly called out to Yvette.

“Hm? Did you call me?”

As Yvette turned around curiously, Noel smiled gently at her.

“Can you come over here for a moment?”

“…Why? Did something happen?”

Yvette approached Noel with a puzzled look.

Thanks to this, Liliana’s grip on her hand naturally loosened.

As soon as Noel confirmed that her hand was free, he casually offered his arm.

“From here on, there will be many eyes watching, so it might be better to prepare in advance.”

Yvette immediately understood his meaning.

‘Right. I need to pretend to be Noel’s fiancée in a place like this.’

The Ruhen Academy alumni gathering was a place where all kinds of people gathered, regardless of social status.

If they made even a small mistake here, who knows what rumors might spread in high society.

“I almost forgot.”

Yvette looked around before placing her hand on Noel’s arm.

Noel smiled slightly and murmured into her ear.

“My fiancée seems to be excessively popular.”

“…Popular? Me?”

Yvette asked back curiously.

However, instead of answering, Noel just shrugged lightly.

At that moment, Liliana, who had been watching the two from a step away, spoke up.

“At this rate, the alumni gathering might start. Shouldn’t we hurry?”

Saying this, Liliana naturally attached herself to the opposite side of Yvette.

As she came back to Yvette’s side, Noel’s expression subtly hardened.

But Yvette didn’t notice, as she was focused on her own steps.

***

Contrary to their worries, the three were able to arrive at the party venue without being late.

It seemed the event hadn’t started yet, as people could be seen gathering in groups and chatting with acquaintances.

Upon arriving at the party venue, Liliana briefly thanked the two before leaving.

Of course, she didn’t forget to make a request to Yvette before that.

“If you ever feel like modeling, please contact me, Count. I’ll be waiting.”

“Alright. I’ll think about it and let you know.”

As Yvette nodded, Liliana beamed a bright smile.

“Really? You promised, so don’t forget. Well then, I’m off to work!”

With those final words, Liliana ran off somewhere.

Yvette watched her go for a moment before turning her head.

In truth, she didn’t really intend to model. But it seemed better to leave the possibility open for now.

‘If I get close to Liliana, I might be able to meet Kervel.’

If she couldn’t find Kervel at today’s alumni gathering, she planned to approach Liliana as a backup plan.

It was because Liliana was Kervel’s life goal and only weakness.

It was at that moment.

A low, deep voice interrupted Yvette’s thoughts.

“…My fiancée seems to be lost in thought, even with her fiancé right in front of her.”

Startled by the voice so close to her face, Yvette looked up.

She saw Noel wearing a rather displeased expression.

“What? What do you mean…?”

As Yvette asked in confusion, Noel tilted his head slightly towards her.

Soon, a low voice whispered in her ear.

“I’m asking you to focus a bit more on me, not on others.”

Yvette flinched and covered one of her ears with her hand.

Was it because he whispered so close? Her ear felt strangely ticklish.

“…Alright, I got it, so step back a bit. Everyone’s staring at us.”

Yvette grumbled as she lightly pushed Noel’s shoulder.

Noel obediently stepped back, slightly raising the corner of his mouth in a smile.

“Everyone knows we’re engaged, so what does it matter?”

“Public displays of affection aren’t appropriate in public places, you know.”

Yvette glanced sideways at Noel before looking around the room.

Perhaps because the event hadn’t started yet, there were no students in academy uniforms visible in the party venue.

‘If my memory serves me right, the students will appear with the chairman. Kervel is likely to be mixed in among them.’

A beautiful boy with blood-red hair and red eyes.

Yvette clenched her fist as she mentally recited Kervel’s appearance.

It was at that moment.

With a loud trumpet sound, the doors to the party venue opened.

Yvette and Noel simultaneously turned their heads at the sudden commotion.

They saw an enormous crowd passing through the party doors.

‘Is that the academy chairman?’

At the forefront of the crowd stood an elderly man who looked about the same age as Herbert.

He had long white hair reaching his waist and wore a robe covered in geometric patterns.

His appearance was unmistakably that of an academy chairman.

As the chairman walked in leading the way, students in uniforms appeared in line behind him.

It was a grand entrance befitting the alumni gathering of the most famous academy in the empire.

Yvette watched tensely as they entered the party venue.

It was finally time to start searching for Kervel.