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*

“Ahaha…”

At that, Baroness Marist let out an awkward laugh that barely qualified as one.

“W-well, I hope you enjoy the banquet.”

“What’s wrong, Lady Marist?”

“W-we’ll be going now!”

With a stiff expression, Baroness Marist quickly led her group away, almost as if fleeing.

Those who knew nothing were dragged away while expressing regret, turning their heads until the very last moment to catch even a glimpse more of Ariel’s face.

“What’s with them?”

Aware of their lingering gazes, Ariel showed his usual polite smile while performing the miracle of speaking without moving his lips.

“Hmm, who knows.”

Judging by the emptiness in Ariel’s eyes, he was clearly already disinterested.

‘He seems completely uninterested. That’s a relief.’

No…

‘Why am I relieved!’

Merrien, who had been secretly pleased while watching Ariel’s reactions, startled herself.

She tried to calm herself by remembering that she had to return to reality once she filled her healing quota. It was becoming a problem that she couldn’t control herself sometimes after realizing her feelings.

“His Majesty the Emperor, His Highness Prince Forcite de Vergne, and Saint Charlotte are entering!”

While she was still trying to calm her heart, trumpets sounded loudly announcing the entrance of the main guests.

Finally, everyone’s attention shifted elsewhere. She couldn’t have been more grateful for this fact.

The Emperor in his white and red uniform, Forcite, and a woman in a white dress who looked unmistakably holy were entering the center of the banquet hall together.

‘She’s the female lead. Definitely has the female lead look.’

Merrien noticed immediately.

A beautiful woman with long silver hair. She was radiating ‘I am a Saint’ with her entire being.

Just as Merrien was feeling inexplicably proud, Forcite immediately fixed his gaze on Merrien and Ariel among the crowd, and for just a moment, his expression hardened.

But he quickly turned away, and only one person noticed this.

The Emperor ordered the nobles to rise from their deep bows and took his prepared seat.

“I thank you all for attending this celebration of Prince Forcite de Vergne’s victory in the war against the Kasis Kingdom. And…”

“I thank you all for attending this celebration of Prince Forcite de Vergne’s victory in the war against the Kasis Kingdom. And…”

Yes, on the surface, this grand banquet was held to celebrate Forcite’s victory in the war.

Though it was clearly a remarkable and joyous occasion, the Emperor, who announced this in a dry voice, began looking around as if searching for something.

Soon his gaze settled on one spot.

“Today, we have some specially invited guests who have joined us.”

Everyone’s attention quickly gathered there.

Once again, Ariel and Merrien found themselves the center of attention.

With even more intense stares fixed on her than before, Merrien forced her eyes to stay open despite wanting to close them.

…Of course, everything up until now had been within the realm of expectation.

But she never imagined the Emperor himself would show interest.

She thought Forcite’s mention of the Emperor was just casual talk!

“Until now, Duke Hartez has never participated in external events due to his poor health. But he has come today, despite his condition, to make this fact known. I am grateful.”

At the Emperor’s gesture, a guard standing behind him handed over an enormously thick book.

‘What fact did he come to make known?’

This was news to Merrien. She glanced to the side, but for some reason, Ariel remained calm.

Meanwhile, the Emperor opened the old, thick book, recited something, and quickly came to a conclusion.

“The temple where Saint Merrien served was corrupt and rotten. This is the High Priest’s secret ledger.”

“!!!”

Completely unexpected words flowed from the Emperor’s mouth. Before Merrien’s eyes could even widen, the Emperor continued.

“The High Priest has been immediately imprisoned in the underground dungeon. Though I cannot know how much Saint Merrien suffered, I am truly grateful that she has taken charge of Duke Hartez’s healing as well.”

‘…The High Priest has been imprisoned?’

A secret ledger was found?

This was all news to her. She had hated the High Priest and wanted some small revenge, but she had let it go thinking ‘what’s past is past.’

Now frozen in place, Merrien barely managed to roll her eyes up to look at Ariel. He didn’t even blink.

‘Has he already finished talking with the Emperor? Just what… is going on?’

Merrien wasn’t the only one confused.

The hall quickly became chaotic. Baroness Marist, who had just approached Merrien and mentioned the High Priest, was on the verge of fainting in her closest friend’s arms.

Soon, the Emperor’s sharp gaze, having closed the thick book called a ledger, fixed on somewhere.

“And we must also catch those who colluded with the High Priest. Count Montina.”

Eek-! The named person fell back in shock, landing on his behind. Count Montina had been trying to sneak away since the High Priest was mentioned.

“Take him away.”

Finally, Count Montina, who had sat down in an odd posture, was seized by the Imperial Guards.

Merrien became even more confused watching Count Montina being dragged away.

‘Count Montina was the one who persistently courted me, wasn’t he?’

Even when gifts were coming to the temple under Duke Hartez’s name, for some reason she couldn’t avoid his visits.

But was that all…

‘Was he doing that because he was in collusion with the High Priest?’

She hadn’t thought about it, no. She hadn’t wanted to think about it. The more she learned, the more disgusting these people were.

“You’ll hurt your nails.”

“…Ah.”

Only when Ariel gently pulled down her wrist did Merrien realize she had been biting her nails.

She quickly composed herself, worried someone might see.

“I regret such matters arising on what should be a joyous banquet day. Anyway, please enjoy the banquet now. I shall take my leave.”

Meanwhile, the Emperor strode out of the banquet hall with his red cape fluttering, leaving without hesitation.

As if that was all he had to say.

Count Montina, even while being dragged away by the Imperial Guards, continued his useless struggle.

With the Count’s frenzied screams as background noise, Merrien pulled out her unresolved questions.

‘How did the Emperor find out about this, and why is he going this far?’

Did Ariel tell him? How did Ariel…?

But she couldn’t ponder these questions any further. The Count being dragged away screamed at Merrien in desperation.

“…You worthless Saint! How dare you reject my proposal and sell your body to the Duke!”

Thud-.

Selling her body? Merrien felt her heart drop to the floor.

CRASH-!

And immediately after, a chandelier fell on top of the Count’s head.

The Count, crushed under the massive chandelier, didn’t even have time to scream.

He simply collapsed.

“……!”

Everyone in the hall covered their mouths at the tremendous noise and the sudden scene that unfolded.

However, Merrien, who should have witnessed it all from up close, actually saw nothing.

The moment the chandelier fell, Ariel covered her eyes as if he had known it would happen.

The strange thing was, despite such a large chandelier falling, the Imperial Guards who had been dragging him away were completely unharmed.

When everyone else seemed frozen in place, the only one to take action was Second Prince Forcite de Vergne.

He rushed over and checked Count Montina’s pulse.

“He’s still breathing. He’s not as badly injured as one might think, but he needs treatment. Charlotte, I’m sorry. You won’t have to dance at this banquet.”

Forcite’s gentle gaze fell on the Saint called ‘Charlotte’.

It was similar to the look he had given Merrien when he visited Duke Hartez’s mansion.

“Yes, that’s fine. We need to keep him alive to face his punishment anyway.”

Charlotte’s expression was upright and dignified as she placed her hand over her chest.

While it might have been admirable, thinking about it carefully, it was somewhat terrifying words.