***

Once outside the palace gates, Rishe threw herself into the waiting coach, shouting for the driver to make haste. She stopped it a few hundred yards from the manor and bid him farewell. “I’m leaving! Thanks for always being such a safe driver, Daniel!”

The road to the manor was muddy from a morning rain shower. She knew from her second life that the coach would get stuck, resulting in a loss of valuable time. It was better to just get out and run.

“Huff, huff.”Despite her last life’s physical conditioning,thisbody had no stamina. She’d need to try to get fitter faster this time around.

Rishe reached the end of the road, and her heart promptly sank all the way to her feet. “Oh no.”

The front door was thronged with people, all of them surrounding a carriage bearing the royal family’s coat of arms.

I need to get out of here.

While she stood frozen in indecision, one of the knights doing crowd control shouted, “Your Highness! I have eyes on Lady Rishe!”

“Get out of my way!” A familiar voice started up a bellow. “Let me through! Rishe, howdareyou make me wait so long?”

Rishe’s ex-fiancé, Crown Prince Dietrich, stepped triumphantly forward.

“I know the thought of hearing your crimes enumerated by the man you love must pain you, but alas, as future king, it is my duty to bring down the hammer of justice upon a villainess such as yourself!”

“I see I’ve timed it badly,” Rishe muttered. “In fact, this is my worst loop yet. I’d rather be barred from the house than see you again.”

“Hmm? What are you grumbling about?” Dietrich looked Rishe up and down. “I knew it. You put on a brave face, but I can sense the sorrow in your heart.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Your heart!” the prince repeated. “Your heart! It must be absolutely crushed! Because I called off our engagement!”

Rishe wasn’t sure where he was drawing these conclusions from. Possibly the same place he mined for all his bottomless self-confidence.

“I can tell you’ve been wandering aimlessly, distraught,” the prince went on. “Look at you. Your dress is caked in mud, your shoes are broken, and there are cuts marring your face and arms. What other possible cause could there be than heartbreak?”

Rishe narrowed her eyes. “Do you ever stop to think about the words coming out of your mouth?”

“What?”

His interpretation of events was fanciful to the point of absurdity. “I did not dirty my dress or snap my shoes out of heartbreak. Because I feel none. You’ve always been a little slow, so I’ll make this clear: I do not have a single shred of fondness for you, or for our broken engagement.”

“What?!” the prince said. “What are you saying?!”

The surrounding crowd began to snicker.

“Isn’t that the crown prince? Did Lady Rishe just dump him?”

“Wait, but wasn’t he trying to dumpher?”

“Can’t be! Look at her! She doesn’t care at all!”

“How dare you nobodies make sport of me?” Dietrich screeched. “I am your prince!”

Temper aside, Dietrich was a handsome man. He had azure-blue eyes and blond hair—a prince straight out of a picture book. His looks and place in the succession meant a never-ending swarm of women vying for his affections. He was brought up a pampered princeling, never wanting for anything. It manifested in a pompous manner and an overconfidence in his own abilities. Rishe had cautioned him about his attitude before, but he never paid her any mind.

I’msoglad I don’t have to marry him.

She wished she could go back and tell the shocked, scared girl from her first life not to worry about her shattered engagement. Still, she might as well say it all here and now, with the assembled knights and citizens to bear witness.

“Your Highness, you exist to love and protect your people. It’s unbecoming to speak of them in this manner.”

“You’re the unbecoming one!” the prince snapped. “Beg me for forgiveness!”

“I won’t. Calling off our betrothal is the best course, and I applaud Your Highness for your good sense.”

Now even the knights were trembling with suppressed mirth.

Dietrich was turning red. “D-don’t laugh at me!”

“Lady Rishe,” came a sweet voice. “Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?”

Rishe fought down a groan.

Out of the crowd stepped a charming, dainty girl. Her big eyes moist with tears, she took her place at Dietrich’s side. “I do not allow the people I care about to be treated so very ill!”

“Why, Lady Mary. You’re here.” Rishe sighed. “How nice.”

The young Mary scowled through her tears. Hidden behind her skirts, Dietrich continued to shout his disapproval. “Rishe! You’ve brought my beloved Mary to tears! She’s told me everything. How you bullied her, ridiculed her. How you find it amusing to lock her in the classroom overnight! Such a wicked woman could never be queen!”

None of that’s true.

Rishe glanced at Mary, who averted her gaze a little awkwardly.

“More importantly,” Rishe said, “have you already brought your concerns to my parents, Your Highness?”

“More importantly?!I did, if you must know! Your parents are furious. They have vowed to disown you.”

“Ah. Then I’m too late.” Her parents held their reputation above all else. Rishe had little hope of retrieving any of her money or belongings now.

“Why are you acting so strangely?” Dietrich sniffed. “Ah, I understand. You’re in such shock from this turn of events that—”

“Listen, Dietrich.” In her exasperation, Rishe dropped his title. “I accept your decree. We are no longer engaged. I shall never darken your doorstep again. So…relax a little.”

“Huh? What are you saying?”

“Since I was a child, I believed that my only value was in our betrothal. Being engaged to the crown prince was my whole reason for living. I was wrong about that. Only I determine my value—no one else. That’s why I don’t care about this. I’m beyond it.” Rishe made sure to look him directly in the eye as she spoke. “You are an unnecessary element in my life.”

Dietrich staggered back. His legs seemed to go out from under him, and he crumpled. At that, the knights finally let go of their composure, laughing along with the courtiers.

“St-stop!” the prince wailed. “You are my subjects. This…this shows such flagrant disrespect!”

“Dietrich, don’t pay them any mind,” Lady Mary said. “Lady Rishe, is this cruelty necessary?”

“Perhaps this is a blessing in disguise.” Rishe’s attention moved to Mary, making the girl’s slender shoulders jump. She had no reason to worry; Rishe didn’t bite. “I’ve been wanting the opportunity to speak to you, Lady Mary. You’re strong. I admire you very much.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’re a lovely girl who never fails to smile despite your troubles. You don’t put up walls around your heart, and you do your utmost to put others at ease. Even now, you bravely stand before me to protect the prince.”

Mary’s eyes were wide with confusion. Rishe picked her words carefully, attempting to diminish the girl’s guilty feelings, if only a little. “You need to marry the prince for your family’s sake, right?”

“How do you—?”

Rishe had learned this truth in one of her past lives. Mary was born to a poor family, and she had studied like mad to be accepted into the academy to hunt for a husband. She intended to make sure neither she nor her brothers ever went hungry again.

She went on, “Remember this: you are the one in control of your life. Don’t sell it to anyone else. Can you trust a man who so easily discards the woman he’s been engaged to since childhood? Do you truly believe he cares for you?”

Astonishment bloomed across Mary’s face. She looked over at Dietrich, who hadn’t bothered to stand up. The truth was…within a year, Prince Dietrich would be in prison, his title stripped from him. He would plan a mad coup d’état against the king, attempting to provoke the citizens to war. His plan would be discovered in its early stages, rendering him a laughingstock across the kingdom.

“You must shape your future with your own hands—you mustn’t entrust your desires to others.”

“My…my desires?

Rishe nodded.

Mary was looking at her like she was speaking a foreign language. “But I’m their elder sister.” Her voice quivered. “I must endure, no matter what. Otherwise, my brothers will never be happy.”

“And you believe their happiness can only be achieved by sacrificing your own?”

Mary gasped as she gaped at Rishe.

“You don’t need to throw away your own future to protect those you love,” Rishe told her. “No matter what path you choose, never forget that.”

“My future?” Mary’s voice went ragged, like she was barely suppressing a wail of pain.

“I wish you a life where both you and your family can be happy,” said Rishe.

Mary stood frozen in place, eyes gleaming like precious stones. Rishe couldn’t help but admire how pretty she was. She truly did wish her happiness. But right now, she needed to take care of herself.

“Well.” Rishe suddenly broke into a smile, making Dietrich flinch. “I think it’s time for me to be on my way.”

She regretted losing access to her room, but she knew her parents wouldn’t let her in. Turning her back on the crowd, Rishe contemplated her next move.

“Wait, Lady Rishe!” Mary’s voice rang out.

“That’s right. You’re not going anywhere, Rishe!” The prince joined her. “You won’t get away with treating me like trash to relieve your own injured heart.”

“Ugh, enough already!” Rishe’s patience was fraying. “I don’t have anything else to say to you. Goodbye!”

“Knights, stop her!”

Reluctantly, the knights moved to tail Rishe as she walked briskly back down the path. She sympathized with them, but she wasn’t about to let them keep her here. Rounding a corner, she sensed something uncanny. She stopped, the knights quickly catching up with her.

“My apologies, Lady Rishe. If you could please remain for just a—whoa!”

Rishe grabbed the hilt of the knight’s sword. Yanking it from his belt, she spun around and stood at the ready. Metal rang against metal as Rishe parried a blow. She glared at her would-be attacker as he stepped out of the shadows.

Arnold Hein!

“Well, what do you know.” The man smiling so sweetly while their swords locked was the very man who had ended her life. “Youdohave some skill.”

Metal screeched and slid, before Arnold sheathed his sword. Rishe lowered hers. Neither looked away.

“Who the hell are you?” demanded one of the knights.

“Stand down, good sirs,” Rishe said. “Your interference will only make this worse.”

This mostly served to befuddle the knights further. Rishe absolutely couldn’t allow them to come to blows with the crown prince of a friendly nation.And they couldn’t beat him—not even if they took him all at once. Rishe had blocked his blow, but her arm was completely numb. To think he’d be even more powerful in five years.

He regarded her unabashedly. “Rishe, was that your name? Where did you learn such swordsmanship?”

“I’m afraid I cannot say. Besides, you were clearly going easy on me.”

“Ha! You could tell?”

Arnold’s manner was throwing her off. He seemed to be enjoying himself.He’s laughing. This monstrous prince is…actually laughing.

When she had met him in her other life, he was cold and merciless, like a genuine monster. And yet here he stood, mellow and smiling.

The Emperor Arnold Hein I knew was twenty-four years old, so he’s, what? Nineteen now? This is so weird. He’s grinning like a boy getting into a scrape.

That attack had been good-natured as well, almost playful. It had muscle behind it but certainly not any lethal intent. He’d just wanted to force Rishe to catch the blow. She found it unbelievable that he could exude such an overpowering air of menace when he was just messing around.

While Rishe was focused on Arnold, Mary and Dietrich caught up, seemingly recovered.

“Excuse me, my lord!” Mary squeaked. “I-I-I don’t know who you are, but kindly step away from Lady Rishe!”

“Yes, do as she says! Who the hell are you, anyway?!”

Don’t tell me Prince Dietrich doesn’t recognize one of his personal guests.

Dietrich’s interests did not lean toward diplomacy; he likely hadn’t bothered to introduce himself to Arnold. Mary, for her part, seemed to grasp that Arnold wasn’t ordinary. She stood up to defend Rishe, despite the tremble in her voice. In a better world, perhaps the two of them could have become friends.

“That’s your ex-fiancé?” Arnold cocked a brow. “He’s even worse than I imagined. Pathetic.”

Dietrich flushed. “I’ll have your head!”

“Dietrich, I beg of you, contain yourself,” Rishe said, then rounded on Arnold. “As for you, Your Highness—you know who Dietrich is, and you know what speaking carelessly could mean. Are you trying to pick a fight?”

“Whatever do you mean?” Arnold’s brows lifted high, making him the picture of innocence. “Believe me, Lady Rishe, every word I speak is chosen withextremecare.”

Finally realizing who Arnold was, Dietrich visibly paled. “Arnold?He’sthe crown prince of Galkhein?”

Mary yelped. The knights stood down, shamefaced. The gossip-hungry neighbors who’d gathered to witness a scandal play out drew back in fear.

“He’s the demon prince? The one who single-handedly destroyed a whole order of enemy knights?”

“Watch your tongue, fool! Do you want him to do the same to you?”

The two nations enjoyed peaceful relations, but Arnold remained the dreaded prince, heir to the throne of a former enemy. Current rumor wasn’t as widespread as it would be in five years, but he was still regarded with distrust.

The onlookers stood rooted to the spot, too terrified to flee.

Well, this has devolved into a full-fledged disaster.

Rishe heaved a frustrated sigh. “Prince Arnold, to what do we owe this honor? Surely a crown prince would not draw his sword for a mere jest.”

“I’m here on business,” Arnold said. “But first, I must beg forgiveness for my rudeness.”

Huh, what do you know?Once he became emperor, he’d gladly behead any subject who so much as dared speak a word against him.

I guess at nineteen he still knew how to apologize.

If that surprised her, Arnold’s next act completely obliterated her sense of reality.

With a flourish, he fell to his knees.

“Huh?”Is this actually happening?

He was a man destined for an imperial crown. A man who would stand at the head of a military powerhouse and spread his rule across continents.

Arnold, known for his frigid pride, knelt to the disgraced daughter of a duke.

And not only that—his head was bowed, looking nothing so much as a knight swearing allegiance to his lady. If it were anyone else, it would be a delightful, pious image. Instead, the assembled looked on in terrified awe.

Not Rishe, though.

“What are you doing?” she hissed. “Get up!”

“I’m apologizing for my baseless impertinence. Also, I’m asking you…” He trailed off to take Rishe’s hand, tugging her forward so forcefully she staggered. He gazed up at her.

Ugh. He’s so beautiful.No matter how many times she looked at him, it didn’t become any less disarming. Long eyelashes, arched brows, a noble nose. His bright blue eyes reminded her of the drift ice she’d seen in a northern kingdom, gazing out from a ship in one of her past lives. She knew she was dwelling on this to buy time, even as the reality before her sank in.

“…to become my wife.”

She froze, unable to process the words. “What?” Rishe glanced around, desperately searching the faces of the crowd. They all seemed as stunned as she felt. She looked down at Arnold again. “Your wife?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“You wantmeto becomeyourwife?”

“Yes.”

Rishe couldn’t speak. This was truly happening. It was real. It clicked into place in her head, and she let out a strangled grunt.

What is going on? Why is this happening?

Shock lapped at her, fuzzing at the corners of her vision. He wanted to marry her. Arnold wanted to marry Rishe. Hermurdererwanted to marry her.

Why is he doing this? He must have some ulterior motive, a broader goal. But I have to give him an answer.

The onlookers were holding their breath as Rishe said flatly, “I reject your proposal.”

Arnold said nothing.

She had to reject him. She was going to live a long, peaceful, carefree life, damn it, and no one would stop her. And yet…

Arnold began to laugh, and the deep, creeping sense of dread inside Rishe only grew.Why does he seem so amused by this?!