My Fiancée Hates Me

[Past Life]

I wore a black dress that covered both my arms and neck and wore a short-netted veil over my head.

It was a heart-breaking funeral...

No one could keep their composure when they knew that the coffin could only show the faces surrounded by flowers on the deceased. The men who would otherwise try to act indifferent in situations like these broke down and cried alongside their spouses.

My tears were already long dried up from the countless nights of crying, so when it came to the funeral procession to the fallen soldiers, I handled most of the speech and handing out Awards of Valor to the coffins.

Long after the last person left, I stayed behind and sat beside Garett's coffin and rested my head and ear on it.

"...Arielle, you should not be here anymore," Erik said as he pat my back.

"Thank you for making the coffins full sized even though the rest of the bodies are missing," I said to Erik.

"As you requested, I also added sand for the weight. They will be carried off to be buried tomorrow," Erik said as he sat beside me and brought me into his embrace. "I am not telling you to not mourn but just saying that it is better that you do not stay here any longer. Garett would have wanted this for you too."

I wrapped my arms around Erik and hugged him tightly.

"I'm sorry for leaving you alone," I said.

"Arielle, I am fine because I have you," Erik said as he pat my head. "Your kindness has often saved me multiple times. That is why I hope that you will return to your old self soon."

The old me who just smiled when necessary, relied on other people's help all of the time, and believed in the kindness of others?

Is returning to that ignorant me of that time really the right thing I should do?

Right...there is no right answer because everything is too late once you die.

I found myself sitting on my throne in a simple strapless slim fitted red dress with a white fur sash and a red rose ornament in my hair bun. It was a style that I did not go for often because it was out of my comfort zone. I found the change necessary for what I was going to do next.

"... You have come, Marquis Pillar," I said.

"I would like to retrieve my son as soon as possible," Marquis Pillar said as he kneeled before me.

"...Marquis Pillar, do not talk to me as if I am a servant. I am the Queen and Mother of this nation, so address me as such," I said coldly.

"M-My apologies, Your Majesty. I would like to see me son as soon as possible. He has been away from home for too long," Marquis Pillar said.

"You are right...I should return him to you as soon as possible," I said as I snapped my fingers.

My Guards soon brought out a small box and placed it on the ground in front of him.

"What is this, Your Majesty?" Marquis Pillar asked.

"Oh, 'that'? That is obviously your son," I said.

Marquis Pillar soon opened the box to find his son's decapitated head.

"...W-Where is the rest of him?" Marquis Pillar's asked as he lifted the entire box with his son's head inside.

"You do not need dismembered body parts to identify your son, right?" I asked as I got up from my chair and walked towards him.

"What crime did he commit!" Marquis Pillar's asked.

"High Treason...He confessed to betraying our country by selling out confidential military information and assassinating the King's cousin. As you know, such actions warrant immediate execution without trial," I said coldly.

"Nevel sold out his own country and murdered a relative of the Royal Family?" Marquis Pillar asked in disbelief.

"That is right," I said as I kneeled down in front of him. "The information has been limited lest we alert the neighboring countries about our kingdom's current state. Your son was caught red handed in the act and even confessed to harming the King's relative and even killing him. Now, you must know what will happen to your family because of your son's mistakes..."

"Please have mercy!" Marquis Pillar said as he lowered his head to the ground in front of me.

"According to Imperial Law, every single person in your family must be killed," I said.

"...Please let me atone for it with just my life! Please have mercy, Your Majesty!" Marquis Pillar begged as he sobbed pitifully.

"I shall grant you one a shred of mercy and take your life," I said.

"Your Majesty! Thank you..."

"...and the rest of the males in your bloodline," I said cruelly.

"Your Majesty, my daughter just recently gave birth to a child. I ask that you please spare him," Marquis Pillar begged.

"I suppose that death is a bit too kind. Then, I will have all of the males in your family lose a kneecap, including your grandson, but you still have to die as the head of your family," I said as I cupped his cheek. "...Thank you, Your Majesty," Marquis Pillar said right before he was dragged away.

Upon leaving the throne room, I ran into Erik who had been waiting outside and decided to move around him.

"Arielle, is this the type of revenge you wanted to seek!" Erik asked.

"...I had been naive but no longer," I said as I continued walking away from him.

I began purging the kingdom of corrupt Nobles in a relentless investigation behind the flow of money and where the people's taxes were going. It seemed that this country had a deeper dark side than I thought...

A weeks later, Charlotte came to the Castle to visit me.

In all honesty, I did not want to see her while I was in being cruel. I hated the me right now...I did not want her to see me in such a deplorable state of mind.

"I came to see you, Arielle," Charlotte said with a bright smile on her face.

"...What did you come here for?" I asked.

"Many things have been changing lately...I just wonder how you have been doing," Charlotte said with a quiet voice.

"I am surprised that you even want to see me. Surely you must have heard the rumors about me lately," I said.

"I have... You should have killed every single person including the women of Marquis Pillar's family, but that is not your style. You are still just as kind as before, Arielle," Charlotte said confidently. "...Sometimes I want to look at myself through your eyes. You are always putting me up in a good light," I said.

"That is because I love you, Arielle," Charlotte said with a bright smile.

"...Charlotte, many things will change from now on. I am thinking of enforcing more regulations on the Nobles and reframing the infrastructure, so I am asking that you leave the capital for a while," I said. "...Are you saying that it is unsafe for me here?" Charlotte asked.

"There are only a few people left who can make my heart waver, so all I ask is that you live carefree," I said as I kneeled beside her and held her hands. "Just give me awhile before I can change this country..." "I understand...Please be well," Charlotte said as she kissed my forehead.

I soon sent Charlotte on her way back to her home with her husband.

Shortly after she left, Stella came running to my office.

"Lady Charlotte has been injured!" Stella shouted.

I dropped my pen when I heard the news.

Charlotte?

I ran with all of my might to find where Charlotte was being treated and fell to my knees when I saw her bed covered in blood.

Charlotte had cuts on her arms and legs. Since she was found quickly, she received quick treatment.

A witness had informed me that a wheel had broken off of the carriage and had caused the carriage to roll over.

"I am fine, so please don't look so sad, Arielle," Charlotte said after she woke up several hours later after her operation.

"...It is all my fault for sending you back in my personal carriage. I have not had time to check with the maintenance either," I said.

"Accidents happen...Moreover, I was the one who wanted to see you to tell you that I had become pregnant. I was a bit shy to admit it earlier, but I am glad that I finally got the courage to tell you now," Charlotte said with a smile.

"Congratulations on getting pregnant," I said as I grabbed her hands.

I left a little after I saw that Charlotte had taken medicine and had fallen asleep.

The Doctors told me that she and her baby would be fine after a little rest. Even if there was a lot of blood, it seemed to only be a few superficial cuts.

"...Give me my money. I replaced the wheel on the carriage with a broken one," a man said to another man in secret.

"Good job. The commotion was enough to create a distraction so that we could hand off keys to the Marquis," the other man said as he handed the other man a sack of cash.

Ah...this kingdom really is rotten to its core.

I sat waiting in the foyer of Marquis Pillar's home. As expected, he had escaped from prison to come retrieve his wife and children.

"Your Majesty! What are you doing here?" Marquis Pillar asked.

"...I should be the one asking that. For escaping from execution, I have decided to change my mind and decree the original punishment of death to your entire bloodline," I said as I snapped my fingers and had my Guards put Marquis Pillar in front of me.

"Please have mercy, Your Majesty!" Marquis Pillar begged.

Mercy is for fools...

"I am granting you mercy... You will be able to join the rest of your family after this," I said as I raised my sword and quickly sliced through his neck.

"What..."

Marquis Pillar's head slid off mid-sentence.

From that moment onwards, I truly became a tyrant...0000☐☐