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Chapter 189: A Christmas dawn, Nikita’s sudden confession.
After confessing, Nikita ran away as if fleeing.
Maybe it was because her confession was more shocking than I expected.
I greeted the morning with sleepless eyes and, before I knew it, was already at the academy.
Christmas is supposed to be a day off for assistants too, but this Christmas had a special event.
Isabel had awakened the Wings of the Goddess.
People from all over the country had come to see her.
So I decided to stay by Isabel’s side during this Christmas.
Outside the waiting room where Isabel was changing,
I sat there, still dazed, shot down by that confession.
I was happy about Nikita’s confession.
It’s always a happy thing to know that someone likes you.
Nikita had been my favorite character.
How could I not be happy that someone like her said she liked me?
But I had a very important task ahead of me.
So far, three people had confessed their feelings to me:
Seron Parmia.
Sharin Sazaris.
Isabel Luna.
Each of them had their own reason for confessing.
And all of them, in their own way, said they would help me regain my emotions.
Now, Nikita was added to that list.
Four.
No less than four people had confessed to me.
I buried my face in my hands, looking troubled.
If I still had emotions, I could’ve properly talked to all four of them.
But I don’t have emotions, so even speaking with them feels like a lie.
And lately, my emotions have been fading even more.
Losing sadness, I've lost the ability to empathize.
Only joy barely keeps me going.
I had made a promise with Isabel to not wear the Veil Bandages normally.
So today, I wasn’t wearing the Veil Bandages.
Of course, I still had them neatly wrapped in my pocket, but it had been a long time since I walked the academy without them.
Lucas used the Veil Bandages and still managed to get his emotions back.
I’m sure I can get mine back too.
If that’s the case…
‘If I regain my emotions, will that solve everything?’
Because I can look at things as a third party, without emotions, I end up thinking about them even more seriously.
Four women’s confessions.
Which of them will I come to love?
Once again, I buried my face in my hands and then swept it down.
‘What the hell am I even thinking?’
I never thought I’d live to see the day where I’d think something so ridiculous.
It’s pathetic.
But I have to think about it seriously.
This is my way of respecting each of them.
The day I regain my emotions—
By then, I have to be able to give an answer they can all understand. I must keep thinking.
Creak—
Just then, I heard the door of the waiting room open.
When I looked up, a girl stepped out.
A ball gown dress with golden sunflower embroidery.
Her natural beauty stood out even more with just a light touch of makeup and soft peach-colored lips.
A sunflower-shaped hairpin gathered her honey-blonde hair effortlessly.
A warm and radiant painting in motion.
That phrase suited her perfectly.
The main heroine.
Isabel Luna.
“Lady Isabel, you look beautiful!”
“You really are the star of the party!”
With enthusiastic cheers from the maids, she stepped forward, revealing the shoes under her dress.
Our eyes met.
And then Isabel gave a soft, bashful smile.
“Ahem, ahem… so, what do you think?”
She glanced at me, fishing for a reaction.
As I looked at her, I casually spoke the thought that had been troubling me.
“You’re the most beautiful thing in the world.”
If I know what she wants to hear, saying it is the polite thing to do.
When she heard my reply, Isabel’s face bloomed with joy.
As expected, Isabel looked most beautiful when she smiled.
“That was a perfect answer. Did you study or something?”
“I have to study if I’m going to be your escort today.”
“When you say that, it sounds too believable. It’s scary.”
She laughed with her hand over her mouth, then turned to face me.
“So what’s got you looking all serious again?”
Was it that obvious on my face?
Even ghosts might not notice, but Isabel sure would.
My eyes flicked toward the maids.
They quickly bowed their heads and tidied up her hem before disappearing.
A masterful display of reading the room—the skill of a maid surviving among nobles.
“I got confessed to yesterday.”
I confessed honestly, and Isabel’s expression froze.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she leaned in toward me.
As she came closer, a citrusy mandarin scent filled my nose.
“Who this time?”
The way she said “this time”—it seems even she recognizes how often I get confessions.
“If it had been someone you barely knew, you wouldn’t have even cared. You would’ve just ignored them.”
Hearing that, I blinked.
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Then brought a hand to my chin.
Now that she mentions it, that’s true.
Even back during Hannon, and even more so after becoming Vikamon, I’d been receiving attention from many.
But I never batted an eye.
I rejected all of them without a second thought.
Yet with these four… it’s different.
I clearly heard their confessions and held off on giving an answer.
If I don’t have love, there should be no reason to hesitate like this.
So what’s different?
My eyes landed on Isabel.
And my lips slowly parted.
“Isabel… I think I cared about you more than I realized.”
Isabel flinched.
Her eyes darted around nervously, and then she started twisting a strand of her hair with her finger.
“Ugh, h-hmph… y-you’re only realizing that now?”
She pouted playfully.
“Yeah. Even though I’ve lost my emotions, the fact that I still value you hasn’t changed. That’s why I’ve been seriously thinking about your confession this whole time.”
“H-ha, hee…”
Isabel’s eyelashes trembled, and she looked up at me, face flushed red.
She bit her lower lip tightly and let out a sweet breath.
“R-Really… stop trying to seduce me.”
She tapped my shoulder, claiming she was doing her best to hold back.
There wasn’t much strength behind that touch.
“…So, who confessed to you?”
The conversation had circled back to square one.
Still, Isabel’s eyes had softened a lot compared to earlier.
Right now, she was in her gentle and kind Isabel mode—willing to listen patiently no matter what I said.
“It was Nikita.”
And just like that, all emotion vanished from Isabel’s eyes.
She stared at me with a calm gaze.
A gaze so terrifying I couldn’t even begin to read it.
“When.”
Her voice was flat—devoid of any inflection.
We had been with everyone until dawn.
So, she wanted to know when exactly I got confessed to.
“Yesterday, at the assistant dormitory…”
“On Christmas Day. At the assistant dormitory.”
Isabel lifted the corners of her mouth.
And then, she quietly grabbed my collar.
Her grip had nothing in common with the light, playful tap from earlier.
“Were you together for long?”
“She confessed and then left.”
“Just the confession?”
She was persistent.
And sharp.
My eyes briefly flicked to Isabel’s lips.
At that moment, her eyes widened and she yanked my collar toward her.
Before I could react, Isabel stole a kiss without hesitation.
My eyes widened in shock.
As I moved to pull away, Isabel pressed her lips even more softly, more fully onto mine.
Our breaths mingled.
Isabel’s heated breath felt intense.
When her lips finally parted from mine, I could see her lipstick slightly smudged.
Her flushed cheeks were even redder than her lips.
Isabel exhaled a deep breath, her mouth still slightly open, and looked up at me.
The provocative glint in her eyes was a stark contrast to the sweet, gentle Isabel I knew.
“Forget that now. I’ve overwritten it.”
She flashed a bold, flirtatious smile full of seductive confidence.
This girl, Isabel… it felt like she’d broken some kind of limit ever since that last kiss.
Her finger poked lightly at my chest.
“You’re mine. I won’t hand you over to anyone, so get that straight.”
That day, I realized one undeniable truth:
Whatever else might be uncertain, Isabel’s possessiveness was dangerous.
* * *
After that unexpected bold move—
Isabel, embarrassed by her own actions, hurried to fix her makeup and headed to the main hall.
Not once did she look back.
The tips of her ears stayed red, as if still flustered by what she had done.
Really, she’s too cute.
Walking confidently, she soon arrived at the entrance of the hall.
“Lady Isabel Luna, entering!”
Only after arriving did Isabel return to her composed self.
A gathering of global dignitaries.
Isabel stood tall, trying her best to suppress her nerves.
Creak—
Moments later, Isabel stepped into the hall as the doors opened.
The sight before her quickly came into view.
“Oh, that must be her.”
“To awaken the Wings of the Goddess at such a young age…”
“A pride of the Empire’s youth!”
“Truly beautiful—just as someone chosen by the Goddess should be.”
As soon as Isabel appeared, several of the Empire’s representatives let out exclamations of admiration.
But among them were those who simply observed her in silence.
They were figures from outside the Empire.
To the world, Isabel was a powerful asset.
But she was also an Imperial citizen.
Someone with the power of the Goddess, wielding her blade for the Empire.
Naturally, other nations had every reason to be wary of such a force.
Most of those visitors hadn’t come just to meet the girl who awakened the Wings of the Goddess on Christmas.
They were here to gauge the Empire’s power firsthand.
Conversely, the Empire’s intent was to impress that power upon the world—using Isabel.
National interests tangled and clashed.
And Isabel was caught right in the middle of it all.
All eyes in the room were fixed on her.
Predatory stares, like hyenas, trying to cozy up to her.
It was only natural for Isabel to feel nervous.
Which is exactly why I had followed her here.
Step—
Footsteps echoed from outside the hall.
Normally, no one would pay attention to someone entering after Isabel, but this time was different.
“Oh.”
The announcer at the entrance looked momentarily startled.
He quickly regained composure and shouted in a booming voice:
“Her Highness, the Third Princess, Iris Hysirion!”
Iris was currently a student at Zerion Academy.
So the nobles weren’t particularly surprised.
“His Highness, the First Prince, Lukraizen Hysirion!”
But the next name was different.
The nobles widened their eyes and turned toward the entrance.
The first and second in line to the throne—entering together.
Two successors who could split the Empire in half.
Isabel turned to me, eyes full of confusion.
I gave her a gentle smile.
An eye for an eye, a spotlight for a spotlight.
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