1 Chapter 1: Happy Marriage

When I close my eyes, I can easily remember when I first met my husband as a child...

I knew that I would have my partner decided for me since I belonged to a influential Duke's family. Only a person of an equal or higher position would be acceptable as my husband.

I was chosen as Crown Prince Erik Arundel's fiancée.

For that person, I must strive to become the perfect lady. If I do so, I will eventually be loved by him. A competent woman will always win in the end is what I always believed in.

"I hate you...You will never be the object of my my affection. I will marry you to satisfy our families, but I will never love you," Prince Erik said to my child self.

These are the first words I received from my would be fiancé.

I wondered what I did to earn his hate and continued pondering about it without answering.

"Hey! Are you deaf!"

As he approached me, I felt scared by his angry face and began walking backwards. I suddenly lost my balance and tripped over the fountain.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw His Highness reach his hand out to me with a panicked expression.

I grabbed his hand without much thought, and we both ended up in the fountain.

"...I am so very sorry," I apologized.

"You are rather clumsy," he said in an annoyed voice.

From that day, I continued meeting up with Prince Erik when he would come over to my home several times for some reason. I always assumed that he was lacking in interaction with children his age, so he would come to bother me.

Despite him acting rather rude towards me in several instances, he would still come back and show his care for me. I just assumed his bad attitude came from his social awkwardness with girls. He was oddly sweet in his own unique way. In that awkwardness, I found comfort in being around him.

I thought first love was something beyond me, but he made me think otherwise.

When we became proper adults, we happily got married to each other and I supported him in any way that I could.

Now as an adult, I am about to go meet Dolton Grass to in order to learn more about the disturbances in the northern border and the chances of a possible war between this kingdom Arundel and the neighboring kingdom The Balik Empire.

On my way there, I suddenly felt an urge to puke despite not having ate anything and made a quick stop at the restroom.

I had been feeling faint these days, but dismissed my worries because I was on the receiving end of my partner's passionate love.

When I thought back to my period, I noticed that it was incredibly irregular, so I decided to finally check myself out with a Doctor.

It was then that I was informed that I was pregnant...

I should scrutinize my husband for not being careful during uncertain times like these, but it is not like I tried stopping him either.

Nonetheless, I was very happy to carry the child of my husband.

I hurried made my way to the courtroom to see Dolton before I went to see my husband.

Instead of finding Dolton waiting for me, I found Kaya Ouchi whom was Erik's admirer back in our school days who was now holding a blade in front of her.

"...P-Please calm down," I told her.

"No!"

"...Where is Dolton?" I asked.

"Not here...I told him that I wanted to speak to you, and he let me in."

She was banned from being near me because she often antagonized me with her followers and spread terrible rumors about me.

Even without seeing her, I heard much of her exploits. She was always one to involve herself with polygamous relationships until she got caught doing indecent acts in an empty classroom and was promptly expelled from the Royal Academy.

On her neck was a very noticeable purple bruise.

"...Did you seduce Dolton?" I asked.

"Out of all of the harem characters, he was the easiest one to control," she said.

Even after graduating, she still talks nonsense...

She spent her time going around claiming that she was some Heroine of something called an Otome game and that all men including Erik who was of Royal blood was also her servant.

Along with myself and many other students, we all considered her mentally ill.

"Why are you here?" I asked.

"How dare you be at his side? You ruined everything! I should have been the one with Prince Erik!"

I had underestimated her love for Erik.

She had followed him constantly around during our Academy days and tried to bring him to her side all the time by saying that she was his destined one.

"I did not know that you loved Erik that much," I said.

"Hah? Love him? I only love the position of a Queen," she said with a scoff.

"What?"

"Those pretty dresses of yours and all of that jewelry you wear should be mine! Mine! You were already born with wealth, beauty, intelligence, and had people constantly fawning over you. It is unfair for such a perfect being to exist! You could not even spare me the capture target Prince Erik whom I wanted the most. He is just some NPC character without any feelings. Even so, he should be mine as well!" she shrieked as she waved the knife around like a madman.

"...Please calm down," I pleaded to her once more.

I suddenly choked on my words and felt and held my hand over my mouth to stop myself from puking again.

"...Are you with child?" she asked in a small voice.

Her eyes had turned ominously dark.

I instinctively protected my stomach.

"...Please stop this, Lady Kaya," I begged

Why wasn't anyone coming despite the loud commotion?

"I see...You used your body too. Everything is wrong because of you. If it were not for you, I would have had everything!"

She threw her body with her blade in my direction.

I could have easily dodged her clumsy attack but lost my balance from the nausea.

I continued to cover my stomach just in case she tried to harm my child.

I saw Erik coming in from the corner of my eye.

"No! Ari!"

Erik had pushed me aside and thrown himself in front of the blade that landed in his center. Blood shot forth from the wound and from Erik's mouth.

"N-Noooooo!" I screamed.

"...No, the script said that we were meant to be," Lady Kaya said as she fell to the ground.

My ears perked up.

"...Script?" I asked.

Was it destiny for me to die?

The guards came in and arrested her afterwards.

"Arrest her! Arrest Lady Arielle! She had stolen my place beside His Majesty!" she screamed as she was dragged away.

I hugged Erik's head towards my body.

"Erik...Erik...Erik..."

"Ari...are you alright?"  Erik asked.

"Stop talking! You will make it worse. How could you throw yourself in front of the blade? You are a King!"

"...You are my Queen," Erik said.

I tried applying pressure to the wound.

"Why! Why won't you stop bleeding? Someone just make it stop!" I pleaded.

"It's alright, Ari...You don't have to try so hard anymore," he said as he touched my stomach.

...Did he know?

Is that why he jumped in front of the dagger?

It would have been better if this child never existed!

"It was supposed to be a surprise...We were going to make a family and be happy together," I said as I touched his hand over my stomach.

"I wish that we all could have been together longer. It was short, but I was happy...So, please smile," Erik said as he held my cheek.

His hand fell shortly afterwards.

I could tell from his lifeless eyes and from the blood on my shaking hands that he was truly gone.

I gripped my hand over my stomach.

There is no way that I could smile or even live in a world without you...

"If I cannot be with you in life, then I shall be together with you in death," I said as I picked up the blade and held it towards my heart. "I am sorry, Our Child..."

I gave my all for love but still could not be happy...

Stab.