Chapter 167
Chapter 167
Ch. 167 .｡.:✧ The Trap (7) ✧:.｡.
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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“So, you’ve decided to surrender. May you rest in peace, Yoo-jin.”
Transylvania sneered, perched at the dungeon entrance, her arms wrapped around her sword.
The dungeon where Belphegor, one of the Heavenly Kings, resided.
The only person who would attempt such a dangerous dungeon raid and summon Yerina was…
Yerina hadn’t realized it yet, but she was about to meet Yoo-jin.
“You don’t understand Yerina’s hatred…you can’t even imagine it.”
Yoo-jin’s fate was sealed.
Transylvania, having spent so much time by Yerina’s side, had heard her speak of Yoo-jin countless times. She knew Yerina loved him as much as she hated him.
The more she learned about him, the more she denied it, but the denial couldn’t last. Delusions were fleeting. Yerina had accepted the truth.
The turning point had been the Petenburg meeting. Transylvania didn’t know the details, but after meeting with the Witch and the Saintess, a venomous aura had clung to Yerina.
She constantly badmouthed Yoo-jin, reciting a list of women he had allegedly (according to Yerina, definitely) had affairs with, dissecting their imagined transgressions one by one.
Sometimes, drunk and distraught, she would cling to Transylvania, sobbing and lamenting before falling asleep. That was Yerina’s way of processing the truth.
And now, she was about to meet Yoo-jin…
The target of her hatred was clear. It no longer mattered who was at fault, or why Yoo-jin had avoided her.
What mattered was that Yerina possessed the power to subdue him and drag him back to Palana.
“Yoo-jin, you’re screwed-…Huh?”
Two more carriages arrived, and two familiar faces emerged, widening Transylvania’s eyes in surprise.
Three women.
They were likely here for the same reason as Yerina. Transylvania felt a sense of foreboding.
|Transylvania…come here…if you return, we will-|
“Shut your trap! This is about to get interesting!”
|…|
“Damn it…shut up…”
Transylvania ignored the Archdemon’s voice echoing from within the dungeon and settled back into spectator mode.
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“I want all three of you.”
“…”
“…”
“…”
A long silence followed my declaration. Their expressions shifted, each reacting differently.
Yulia wore a complex expression, as if she had anticipated this. Jill stared blankly at the dagger, dumbfounded. And Yerina, tears welling in her eyes, glared at me.
It hardly resembled the aftermath of a love confession.
Yerina broke the silence.
“Let’s talk. Alone.”
“M-Me too.”
“I…I have a lot to say…”
I had expected this. They all had unresolved issues with me, as did I.
A private conversation with each of them was necessary.
“Let’s discuss this…”
The three huddled together, whispering amongst themselves. After about ten minutes, they announced they had decided on the order for our private conversations.
Apparently, the order was significant to them.
Yerina first, then Yulia, and finally Jill. I had no idea how they had decided, but I didn’t question it.
As Yerina cautiously crossed the invisible line separating us, I remembered something I had forgotten to mention.
“There’s one more thing. I’ve promised a future to someone else.”
“…”
The air in the room chilled.
I had thought long and hard during the brief time I had been given. My mind was made up.
All that remained was to solidify my decision.
Voicing it aloud brought a sense of finality, a chilling realization that there was no turning back, but also a sense of relief.
No more anxiety, no more hesitation. I could finally face them, speak to them honestly.
‘Should I apologize first?’
My declaration must have shocked Yerina.
Honesty wasn’t always the best policy. Of course, it was better than lying and running away, but…an apology seemed appropriate.
I was partly responsible for this mess.
Though neither of us had intended it, we had both contributed to the breakdown of our relationship.
But I still hadn’t forgotten Yerina. I still loved her. Among the myriad of emotions I felt for her, affection was the most prominent.
I couldn’t hide it.
“…!”
Bang!
The door burst open and slammed shut.
Yerina stood there, her hand gripping the doorknob, her gaze fixed on me. A cold magical energy gathered in her hand, and a barrier enveloped the room.
I faintly heard Undecided shouting from outside, “Hey! Why can’t I see anything?!” but I ignored it.
Yerina, her eyes locked on mine, completed the barrier and strode towards me, raising her right hand…
‘Damn it.’
I knew instinctively. If that hand connected, I would die. My life flashed before my eyes.
“W-Wait, Yerina. If you slap me, I’ll die.”
“…”
“Can’t you just flick me instead? Hey, hey! Mmm…?!”
Yerina’s hand moved too fast for me to react. Bracing myself for a fractured skull, I squeezed my eyes shut. But instead of a slap, I felt her hands gently cup my cheeks.
Then, a soft touch pressed against my lips.
“Mmm…”
Yerina kissed me, tears streaming down her face. It wasn’t the light, shy kiss from our engagement.
It was a desperate, unrestrained expression of suppressed emotions, a raw, untamed desire. I didn’t resist. I couldn’t. I had confessed to all three of them.
The 100% affection ending was impossible now. I could only accept Yerina’s passionate embrace, her overwhelming desire.
“Haa…”
I found myself pushed onto the bed, Yerina on top of me, a thin strand of saliva connecting our lips as she pulled away. Her breathing ragged, she buried her face in my chest and sobbed.
“I missed you…”
“…”
Yerina cried like a child.
She must have wanted to say those words from the moment she saw me, but she had held back, maintaining her composure as the Frost Duchess.
Now, alone with me, her emotions overflowed.
In this moment, she wasn’t the Frost Duchess, but simply Yerina, a woman in love.
“Sniff…Haa…Haa…It’s really you. You smell like Yoo-jin…”
“Yes, it’s me.”
“Shut up…Mmm…Haa…”
“…”
She covered my mouth, burying her nose in my chest, my neck, my hair, inhaling my scent like a predator before its prey.
After a long moment, she wiped away her tears and looked down at me, finally regaining her composure.
“You promised…you said there was no one else…”
“…”
She was referring to past loops. I was speechless. I had deceived her. The Yerina who had hurt and pursued me existed only in my memories.
But the me who had betrayed and abandoned her existed in both our memories. It was unfair, but I was the one at fault.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize…!”
“…”
“If you apologize…it means you regret the time we spent together…I don’t want that…Please don’t…”
“…”
“You don’t know, Yoo-jin, how happy I was with you. Do you think I’m clinging to you just because I remember past regressions? It’s the opposite. I remember because I loved you so much, I couldn’t forget you. Remember, Yoo-jin? The day we first met…”
I remembered.
I remembered it vividly. Even if everything else faded, I could never forget the moments I met them. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t erase those memories.
I couldn’t forget them, even when I tried to hate them. The women from vanished timelines still lingered in my heart.
And miraculously, I had been given a second chance with three of them.
Jill from the first loop, Yulia from the sixth, and Yerina from the twelfth.
The women I thought existed only in my memories, they had returned. The complex emotions I felt upon realizing this had definitely included joy, a significant amount of joy.
“Remember? You challenged me to a duel the moment you arrived in Palana. You said you wanted to marry me, that you would defeat me.”
“Did I really say it so…aggressively?”
“Yes. Everyone was shocked. I was shocked too…I thought there was no one among humans so…bold.”
“There are more crazy people among humans than you think.”
“That’s not the point. There are plenty of impulsive humans who don’t think about the consequences. But there aren’t many who, after careful consideration, throw themselves into an uncertain future, risking their lives and bodies. I think…that’s what I fell for…You never give up, Yoo-jin. You always find the best solution, no matter the situation. You might make mistakes, but you never regret them. You might look back, but you never hesitate to move forward. Those are qualities a ruler needs. Even if a ruler doubts their choices, they can never show it to their people…”
“…”
I had never heard her speak like this. I had met many versions of Yerina, but this was the first time she had revealed her true feelings.
The Yerina who had returned, transcending regressions, was the only Yerina before me now.
As if trying to encompass all her past selves, Yerina cupped my face in her hands and kissed me again.
“I’ll forgive you, if you promise to look only at me from now on. Yoo-jin. Can you do that? Please?”
“Yerina.”
“Yes…”
“The me you imagine is different from the real me. You call me bold, but I’m actually cautious and cowardly.”
“That’s impossible.”
“I acted that way because I had to, because I was forced to. I envied your aggression. I wanted to be a beast like you.”
It was a simple truth, those who invest are the ones who profit. And not many are willing to gamble on an uncertain future.
Only beasts, only wolves, throw themselves into the unknown and emerge victorious. But I was a sheep pretending to be a wolf, using regressions to turn an uncertain future into a certainty.
“I’ve been afraid to regress, many times.”
There were many times I should have turned back time sooner, even though I knew delaying it would lead to disaster, even though I knew I would face their hatred, their anger, their twisted affection.
I knew enduring all of that would break me, making future regressions even more difficult.
“The cowardly me always wanted this timeline to be the last. I didn’t want to erase the memories we made…”
I was afraid of letting go. I was afraid of being alone. Repeated regressions had instilled a fear I hadn’t known before.
“But now, a miracle has happened. Though unintended, you’ve returned from vanished timelines. And I don’t want to lose any of you again. I can’t force you to understand. This is my selfishness. But if I can be a little more selfish…I love you, Yerina. That feeling hasn’t changed, no matter how many times I’ve crossed time.”
“Y-You…you bastard…”
Yerina trembled, burying her face in my chest again.
After a moment, she sniffled and met my gaze.
“How can I refuse after hearing that…? You know I can’t live without you…Damn it…I love you too…I love you, you asshole…”
And with that, Yerina’s soft lips resumed their relentless assault.
Only after abandoning the conquest objective in the thirteenth loop, after running and hiding, after reuniting and confronting our mutual hatred…only then could I truly connect with Yerina.
Perhaps…this was what they called a love-hate relationship.
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