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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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The tears wouldn’t stop.
Yulia wept, held tight in the embrace she had longed for. What had she been striving for all this time?
Happiness.
She could confidently say that. But looking back, she realized she had been on the wrong path.
Happiness wasn’t far away, or difficult to attain. It had been right there, within reach, just an arm’s length away. But her greed, her desire to monopolize Yoo-jin, had ruined everything.
‘How many times…did I hurt him during his regressions…?’
She didn’t know the exact number, but she could easily guess that in every loop, she had been his greatest obstacle. She would have been.
The insecure, possessive Yulia from those past loops would have undoubtedly hurt him while simultaneously yearning for him. She didn’t need to see it to know it.
Yet, Yoo-jin never mentioned it.
He never spoke of the things her past selves had done, the pain they had caused him.
Instead of dwelling on bygone loops, he spoke of the future, of how their relationship could improve, of the future they could build together.
It was a dream, a dream she had thought she had to abandon. The mere thought of being included in Yoo-jin’s vision of the future filled her with overwhelming joy.
‘It took too long…’
The path hadn’t been difficult, or far. Yet, she had taken the longest, most arduous detour.
She had walked in the opposite direction, only to be led back by Yoo-jin’s hand, arriving at the destination she had always desired. The tears wouldn’t stop.
She wouldn’t make the same mistakes again. She wouldn’t be consumed by greed and self-destruction. Countless versions of herself had failed.
Yoo-jin’s regressions were proof of that. It was as easy as a test with all the answers provided.
‘But…what about the Saintess…?’
The thought of Jill suddenly surfaced. That troublesome woman. In a previous loop, their animosity had escalated into a full-blown war.
She had wondered if their conflict was unique to that timeline, but judging by Jill’s awkward demeanor, it seemed their relationship had been strained in other loops as well.
The thought of having to be close to such a woman made her head spin.
“Are…are you done?”
“…”
Outside the door, Jill waited, slumped against the wall like a small animal. Yulia clicked her tongue.
‘She’ll probably have a harder time than me.’
Moments ago, she had worried about clashing with Jill, but now, she felt a pang of sympathy.
Jill clearly struggled with the idea of sharing Yoo-jin. Yerina had also been confused and angry, but her anger was directed outwards.
Jill’s seemed to be directed inwards, further eroding her already fragile self-esteem.
So, Yulia decided to offer Jill a small piece of advice.
“W-Wait…a little…longer…before…you go in…Yoo-jin…needs…time…to…sort out his…f-feelings…about…the Saintess…”
“…!”
A direct confrontation wouldn’t be productive. Yoo-jin’s emotions were heightened after their conversation, and Jill was on edge.
After offering her somewhat cryptic advice, Yulia returned to the round table, a sudden realization striking her.
Her own words, spoken in her usual hesitant, stammering manner, could be easily misinterpreted.
“Oh…!”
She spun around, but it was too late. The door had closed, and the Saintess’s divine magic sealed the room.
‘This is bad! I wasn’t trying to sabotage her!’
Yulia’s mind went blank. Her lack of communication skills had backfired again.
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Next was Jill.
I tried to recall my feelings for her, but memories of our time together flooded my mind. Jill, tirelessly helping others, regardless of the mud and grime staining her clothes.
Jill, her childlike delight on the transcontinental train. And Jill, confessing her disdain for commoners, not as the Saintess, but as an ordinary person, her tears flowing freely.
I couldn’t recall a single negative memory. This was pointless. I shook my head, just as the door clicked shut. I hadn’t even heard her enter.
“It’s been a while. Sorry for leaving without saying goodbye properly.”
“…”
My apology was multifaceted.
In the first loop, I had left her with only a note. And in this loop, I had stolen her dagger while she was unconscious and left her behind.
“Do you know…how much I missed you?”
“…”
“I missed you, I wanted to hold you…but things were…urgent…And then you just…disappeared…”
“…”
“I…I had so much to say before I came in…but…seeing your face…I forgot everything…I don’t know…I can’t do this right now…”
Tears welled in her eyes, and she turned abruptly, walking towards the door.
“Where are you going?”
“…!”
Just as she reached for the doorknob, I rushed forward, wrapping my arms around her waist, lifting her hand away from the door. I held her tight, preventing her escape.
Her weak struggles tickled me.
“Let me go…”
“If you leave now, you might not get another chance.”
“I don’t want to talk right now…”
“Then when? Tomorrow? Three days from now? A week? We don’t have that much time. Look at me, before it’s too late. Don’t regret it later.”
“…”
Her resistance faded, and she leaned against me, her body slumping, her sobs wracking her frame.
“I’m sorry. I’m so late. I broke my promise to return.”
“Huu…”
Unlike the others, who overwhelmed me with their closeness, Jill was different.
She sulked, she hurt, she distanced herself. If I didn’t reach out and hold her, there might not be a next time. I had learned that in the first loop.
I couldn’t give her time. When she told me to stay away, she was actually pleading for me to come closer. I had realized that too late.
The foolish, naive me had given her space, thinking she needed time to cool down. And that had been the last time I saw her.
If I had known, I wouldn’t have made that mistake. I would have broken down the door, grabbed her wrists as she lashed out at me, and held her close, apologizing, just like now.
“I’m sorry…I’m so sorry…Huu…I was so cruel…I said things I didn’t mean…I didn’t want it to be like this…Huu…”
If I had done that, she would have been in my arms now, crying and apologizing, just like this.
I should have held her then. I shouldn’t have let her push me away. We were both so foolish.
“I love you…Huu…I love you…but…I didn’t know how to express it…Uu…no…I was afraid…I wanted you to confess first…I wanted you to apologize first…I wanted you to indulge all my whims and tantrums…I didn’t think…that you would get tired…that your patience would run out…”
“…”
“After I remembered…I kept thinking…this time, I’ll confess first…I’ll be the one to reach out…But…I guess people don’t change easily…Hearing about the other women…the first thing I felt was jealousy and anger…I almost ran away the moment I came in…But…but…I don’t want to lose you again…I don’t want to be abandoned by you again…”
She turned and clung to me, her legs wrapping around my waist, pulling me closer.
I ended up holding her, her arms around my neck, our eyes finally meeting. She trembled, her lips quivering.
“So…I wanted to say it first…But you…you suddenly went and confessed…If you were going to confess…you should have told me first…”
“I forgot.”
“Pretend you didn’t confess. Take it back, quickly. Take it back now.”
“Take it back? How?”
“Just say you take it back. Say it never happened.”
“Okay. I take it back. The confession never happened.”
“Okay…then I’ll confess first.”
Her tears stopped, and a smile bloomed on her face. The Saintess’s power was truly formidable, able to erase what had already happened so easily.
She sniffled, burying her nose in my shoulder, then loosened her grip slightly and met my gaze, her lips trembling.
“Huu…I…I love you…I love you. Please…spend the rest of your life with me…for as long as your lifespan allows…Uwaaah! I said it! I said it!”
Her face flushed crimson, and she buried her face in my chest again. She was so adorable, I couldn’t resist teasing her.
I carried her towards the bed, and she let out a confused “Huh?”
“Haa?!”
I gently tossed her onto the bed, untangling her arms from around my neck, and pinned her shoulders down, her face exposed.
“Uwaaa…don’t look…”
She squirmed, her face even cuter than I had imagined, pleading with me to look away. I chuckled, unable to contain my amusement.
I gently cupped her cheeks, my thumbs caressing her soft skin.
“Very well. I’ve been waiting for those words. I love you too.”
“Huu…”
And then, gently, softly, I kissed her. I felt her legs tighten around my waist.
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