My Fiancée Hates Me

"Let's not get married...right before I leave. I do not mean to withhold it forever. I just want us to wait for a while until both of us are able to settle our feelings. I hope that you will wait for me to come back so that we can hold our wedding then," Garett said.

"...I will be waiting," I said as I wrapped my arms around Garett's neck.

Since Garett had been injured, we both decided to leave the hunting grounds to get him treatment at the medical tent on site. This of course meant that we were both disqualified. It made no sense to stay behind, so we decided to leave and spend our time together.

For two lifetimes, I had carried a long resentment towards many people who had hurt me in my life.

To let it all go...

"My Lady, there is a letter Marquis Pillar here for you," Stella said.

"Marquis Pillar?"

When I opened the letter, I saw an invitation to a funeral in Nevel Pillar's name.

As soon as I read that, my legs had suddenly lost all of its strength and caused me to fall to the ground.

"My Lady!" Stella yelled as she quickly ran over to me.

I held my face in my hands from complete disbelief.

"Nevel Pillar is dead..."

I attended the funeral a few days after I responded to the invitation. There, I confirmed that the body in the coffin truly did belong to Nevel Pillar.

So abruptly and so easily...he died without my hand in doing so.

When I saw his peaceful face, I wanted to ruin it all over again, but my curiosity trumped all of my other feelings. A parasite like him could not have died so easily.

"He was so young...to think he lost his life on the hunting grounds," a woman beside me whispered to her friend.

"There will always be a possibility of freak accidents occurring in places like that," her friend said.

The hunting grounds?

In the corner of my eyes, I saw a familiar head with shining flaxen blonde hair sitting in the front row...Erik?

I caught him as he was leaving.

"...Erik, did you have something to do about this?" I asked as I grabbed his wrist behind the building.

"...What do you mean?" Prince Erik asked as he placed his other hand over mine.

"Nevel Pillar died too early... Both of us know full well that he did not die this early in our past life," I said as my entire body shook with fear.

"I did not do anything," Prince Erik said with a smile as he removed my hand from his wrist and held my fingertips lightly.

"Then, why did he die?" I asked.

"I thought you entered the hunting competition. Did you not go?" Prince Erik asked.

He does not know what happened at the hunting competition or about me leaving early because Garett was injured? Maybe he really was not there at the hunting competition... "...I left early because of some private matters," I said.

"I spoke with Marquis Pillar and his wife. They said that there was a hunting accident. He was attacked by a wandering bear. On further investigation, it seemed that a hunter's stray arrow disturbed its resting area. It also did not help that Nevel Pillar provoked the bear into attacking him thinking that he could kill it himself. If anyone, it was his fault for overestimating his abilities," Prince Erik explained.

"I cannot help but feel that it was my fault..."

Prince Erik placed his hands over mine and smiled gently.

"...Arielle, it is time for you to let go of your resentment. Everyone who had hurt you in the past are now no longer here. Now, it is your turn to live your life and be happy," Prince Erik said.

His words were like a jab to my

heart. For two lifetimes, I had carried

a long resentment towards many people who had hurt me in my life had had so much baggage that had to dictate my entire second life towards being careful and punishing myself. In the end, some things had resolved by itself even without my involvement.

It feels a bit odd to suddenly be free of everything...

As I opened my eyes and turned to look up at the sky, I saw a few doves fly by above me.

"With the weight off of my shoulders, is that what it feels like to be finally free?" I asked Prince Erik.

"Yeah, it is something close to what you are imagining. Arielle, stop waiting for others to be happy...because we all want you to be happy too," Prince Erik said as he released my hands. "As someone who was once a large part of your life, I wish you endless happiness."

"...I hope that you will be happy someday too, Erik," I said as I watched his back fleeting.

I felt tears rolling down my cheeks for the person who once loved me earnestly cheer me on with my second life. Even after moving on with Garett, I still feel as though he is still lightly pushing me forward towards a better future that I had trouble imagining.

"I

[Erik's Perspective a Few Days Ago]

"...Please spare me... Your Highness," Nevel Pillar begged under my foot.

After Arielle and Garret left the hunting event, I went after Nevel Pillar and chased him down with several arrows. I am actually a good shot but played around with him until he lost all of his strength to run anymore.

"Come on...Beg for your life again," I said as I ground my heel on his temple. "Maybe someone will come looking for you."

I had placed guards around to block off this specific area just in case Arielle wanted to kill Nevel Pillar herself. Since she gave up, it is only right for someone else to finish what she started.

"....What have I ever done to offend you?" Nevel Pillar asked.

"You are were and still are a sniveling bastard...who liked eyeing other people's wives, you kidnapped my wife on the intention of trading her to a military secrets and wealth, killed my close relative, and dafed bring her to an isolated room to bed her in this life. You were still trash even before we all officially met," I said as I released my foot off of his face.

"Someone! Please save me!"

I took my sword and stabbed his legs.

"... You are slowing down," I said with a smirk on my face.

Arielle is too kind to care for even trash like him...

"... You won't get away with this when my Father hears about this!" Nevel Pillar's shouted.

I laughed evilly.

"You seem to forget that I am a Prince. I can fabricate as much false evidence as I want. The moment you stepped on this hunting ground; you had already become my prey. Killing you won't leave a dent in in my conscience," I said as I stabbed his heart.

I had regrets too...I could not save neither my dear good friend and relative Garett, nor my wife and child in my first life, so doing this small thing, makes up a little for the anger and despair I felt back then.

I had wanted Arielle to kill him if it

meant giving her peace, but things are better this way...Only I had to get my hands dirty now. I blame myself for letting Arielle taking on getting her hands stained in our previous life. When I read her journals in our past life, I realized her intention of becoming a necessary evil in the kingdom. The more she did to purge the people through cruel means, more people garnered for my side, hoping that I would usurp my own wife.

Since this is now our second lives, I will just have to make a kingdom where she can be happy even if she will no longer be by my side.

If I had any more regrets, it would be that I would have hoped to see the birth of our child together, but that is all too late for either of us...The person she loves the most is no longer me.

All I can do now is sincerely wish from the bottom of my heart is that she will be happy from now on while wallowing in the regret that I can never hold her in my arms again.☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐