episode_0169

The tears wouldn’t stop.

Yuria cried and cried in the embrace she had longed for so much.

What had I been striving for all this time?

For happiness.

Yuria could say that with certainty.

But looking back, Yuria realized that she was heading down the wrong path.

Happiness wasn’t far away.

It wasn’t in a difficult place either.

It was right there, within reach.

But greed brought about ruin.

The greed to monopolize Eugene ruined everything.

“How many times has Eugene been hurt by me through his returns…”

Although Yuria didn’t know the exact number of Eugene’s returns,

she could easily deduce that in each of those returns, she had been the biggest obstacle.

Because that’s what she would have done.

If she were someone who was not skilled in relationships and only had a lot of greed.

If she were the foolish Yuria from the past, it would be natural for her to hurt Eugene while yearning for him.

It was obvious even without looking.

But Eugene never brought up such matters.

About the actions of the previous Yurias.

About the wounds he had suffered.

He didn’t say a word.

Instead of talking about the past returns that had already passed,

he talked about “from now on.”

How much more our relationship could improve.

And what future we could now envision.

It was like a dream.

A story that I thought I should give up on soon.

Just the fact that she was in Eugene’s future, Yuria felt a boiling joy.

“It took too long…”

It was an easy path.

It wasn’t a distant path.

Such a path had come around in a difficult, winding way over a long period of time.

Even though she had walked in the opposite direction.

In the end, she was led by Eugene’s hand and arrived at the place she desired.

Yuria couldn’t stop the tears.

She wouldn’t do any more foolish things.

She would stop being excessive and causing her own downfall.

Because she had failed so many times.

Eugene’s returns proved that.

As easy as a test with the answer key given.

“But what about the Saintess now…”

Suddenly, a question came to mind.

A woman who was so awkward.

In the previous returns, they had scratched each other’s nerves and eventually exploded into a war.

I wondered if it was only in the returns I had experienced that our relationship had been so bad.

Seeing how Jill was slightly awkward with Yuria, it seemed that her returns had been similar.

It made me a little dizzy to think that I had to get closer to such a woman from now on.

“Is it over?”

“…”

Outside the door.

Meeting Jill, who had been waiting like a restless animal.

Yuria let out a small sigh.

“It seems like this child will have a harder time than me.”

Just a moment ago, she had wondered what would happen if they clashed, but now she felt empathy.

No matter how you looked at it, Jill Dyna seemed to have difficulty accepting Eugene’s declaration that he wanted all three of them.

Even though Yerina was confused and angry,

her anger was directed outward.

But in Jill’s case, it seemed like she was directing it inward, further diminishing her already low self-esteem.

That’s why Yuria decided to tell Jill one thing.

“Just, just… I’ll go in for a bit… to sort out my thoughts about Eugene… the Saintess. I think I’ll need some time… because I need to organize my thoughts…”

“!”

If she went in right away, the conversation might not go well.

Eugene was in an emotionally charged state from talking to her,

and Jill was clearly frightened.

Yuria gave her advice to Jill in her own way and left.

Returning to the round table, something felt off.

The words I had just spoken.

Reflecting on those stumbling, hesitating words, my eyes widened.

It was a belated realization that those words could be interpreted differently from the listener’s perspective.

“Ah······!”

As Yuria urgently turned around,

The door was already closed, and the sacred magic of the saint had sealed the room.

‘Oh no! I didn’t mean to restrain her!’

Yuria’s mind went blank.

Once again, a lack of communication had caused a misunderstanding.

.

.

.

Next was Jill.

Trying to recall past memories to reassess my feelings towards Jill,

Memories of Jill kept flooding my mind in a jumble.

Jill who helped people without caring about mud on her clothes or dirt on her hands.

Jill who joyfully rode the transcontinental train like a child.

And Jill who, not as a saint, but as an ordinary person, cried in disgust at the commoners.

No matter how much I thought, only good memories came to mind, so I shook my head, thinking it was meaningless.

With a thud, the door quietly closed.

I didn’t even hear her coming in.

Before I knew it, Jill had completely entered and closed the door behind her.

“Long time no see. I’m sorry for leaving without a proper goodbye back then.”

“······.”

It was a statement with multiple meanings.

I had left only a note during the first encounter.

And this time, I had left a fainted Jill and only stole a dagger before leaving.

“Do you know how much I missed you?”

“······.”

“I wanted to see you, to hug you······. But the situation was urgent, so I held back······. But you disappeared suddenly······.”

“······.”

“Even now······ I had so much to say before you came in······. But as soon as I saw your face, I forgot everything······. I don’t know······. It’s not the right time now······.”

With a choked voice and tears welling up in her eyes, Jill turned around abruptly.

And then she walked confidently towards the door and grabbed the doorknob.

“Where are you going?”

“······!”

But just before turning the doorknob,

I quickly approached, embraced Jill’s waist, and held her wrists up.

To prevent her from running away, I tightened my grip, feeling her weak resistance or maybe resignation, which tickled me with an uncontrollable squirm.

“Let go of me······.”

“If you leave now, you may not have another chance.”

“I’m not in the mood to talk right now······.”

“Then when do you think it will be okay? Tomorrow? In three days? Or a week later? We don’t have much time. Look at my face before it’s too late. Don’t regret it later.”

“······.”

As her weak resistance gradually faded away,

Instead of trying to escape from me,

Jill leaned on me, and with a lot of sobbing, she started to crumple.

“I’m sorry. I’m so late. I couldn’t keep my promise to come back.”

“Sob······.”

While others would feel burdened to come so close, Jill was different.

She would act recklessly, get hurt on her own, and distance herself on her own.

If I didn’t approach her and hold her back, there might not be a next time.

I learned that during the first encounter.

I shouldn’t give her time.

Jill, who was angry at me for approaching, was silently screaming for me to come closer.

I realized it too late.

Back then, I was dull and foolish, thinking I had time to cool off and left Jill.

That was the last time.

If I had known the future, I wouldn’t have made such a mistake.

I would have unlocked the door, gone in, held her wrists to stop her from hitting me, and apologized.

Just like now.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry… Huh, sniff… I was so rude… I said things I didn’t mean… I didn’t want it to turn out like this… Ugh…”

If that had happened, Ji would have hugged me tightly, crying and apologizing.

I should have held on like that.

It shouldn’t have been easy to push me away.

Both Ji and I were so foolish back then.

“I love you… sniff, I love you… I didn’t know how to express it… Ugh, no. I was afraid to express it… Hoping to fill my pathetic pride, I wanted you to confess first… I wanted you to apologize first… I just wanted you to endure all my stubbornness and irritation… You will get tired eventually, your patience will run out… I didn’t think about that.”

“…”

“After regaining my memory, I kept thinking. This time, I should confess first… I should pull you closer first… But people don’t change easily… When I heard about other women, jealousy and anger surged first… So, without realizing it, I almost ran away as soon as I came in… But, but… I don’t want to lose Eugene anymore… I don’t want to be abandoned by you anymore…”

Turning around, Ji hugged me tightly.

As if wanting to be even closer, she wrapped her arms around my waist, even involving her legs.

Eventually, I found myself holding Ji’s hips and embracing her.

With our eyes at the same level, Ji continuously sobbed and rubbed her cheeks against mine.

“So, I wanted to speak first… But suddenly you beat me to it… If you were going to confess, you should have said it first…”

“I forgot.”

“Just pretend I didn’t confess. Cancel it, quickly. Cancel it now.”

“Cancel? How do I do that?”

“Just say you’re canceling it. Say the confession never happened.”

“Alright. I’ll cancel it. The confession never happened.”

“Okay… So, am I the one confessing first?”

Ji, with a flushed face instead of crying, showed a hint of anger.

Changing what had already happened so easily to never have happened.

Indeed, the power of a saint is immense.

After sniffling and catching her breath on my shoulder for a moment.

Ji, looking into my eyes, slightly loosened the arms around my neck and trembling lips, said.

“Phew… I, I love you… Please be with me for as long as your remaining life allows… Ugh! I said it! I said it!”

Then, her face turned as red as a beet, and she hugged me tightly again, hiding her face.

Seeing her like that was so cute that I couldn’t help but want to tease her.

As we moved towards the bed, Ji seemed to sense something strange and made a huh? sound.

“Huh?!”

She fell onto the bed with Ji, forcibly removing her arms.

Then, grabbing Ji’s shoulders and fixing them to the bed, Ji had no way to escape and had to show her face to me.

“Ugh… Don’t look…”

Ji twisted her head frantically, begging with a face cuter than expected.

I couldn’t help but chuckle at her embarrassment.

Gently holding her blushing cheeks as if to comfort her, I politely said.

“Alright. I’ve been waiting for those words. I love you too.”

“Phew…”

And then, softly.

I kissed her lips.

The muscles wrapping around my waist were getting stronger.