Home/The Prince died, so we're starting over!/ch2

Episode 2

Anna seemed reassured and lay back down in her bed.

Phew, this remarkable acting of mine. It's all natural talent.

Letting out a sigh of relief, I held my breath for a moment and listened. Anna had apparently fallen fast asleep again; all was quiet.

Only then did I slip out of bed on silent, cat-like feet.

My destination: the desk.

'There should be a notebook here somewhere... Ah! Found it.'

Sitting at the desk, I searched for what I needed with careful hands. I couldn't light a lamp for fear of waking Anna, but the moonlight streaming through the window was bright enough that it wasn't much of a bother.

Fortunately, even eight years ago, my things were kept in similar places. I had no trouble finding a notebook and a fountain pen.

'The Something-or-other Northern Grand Duke and the Something-or-other Baron's Daughter's contract marriage...'

Capping the fountain pen, I wrote down everything I could remember about the original story in the notebook.

Just in case, I made sure to write in Korean rather than the Imperial language—a precaution I did not forget.

Since it had been twenty-four years since I'd last used that script, I was a bit fuzzy on the spelling of certain words.

But since this was just for my own eyes, I didn't worry too much about it.

'...And here's the most important part.'

I set down the fountain pen and picked up a new one—a pen filled with red ink.

Red pen in hand, I drew a big circle around the words "Hariella's formal fiancé, the Something-or-other Prince."

Five stars, a thick underline, and a curly pigtail swirl.

Below that, I added: "Sixteenth birthday, the Third Prince's safety in peril."

The sole fruit of my third life.

That fruit was this: I had finally learned at least a fraction of the contents of the dispatch sent from the Imperial Palace!

In my first and second lives, everything had ended with Count Lulupel reading the letter with a grave expression.

Looking at it that way, I had made considerable progress in my third life.

'The Third Prince is probably dead by now, isn't he?'

The Imperial lands were vast. Even with a magical messenger bird, a letter could not be delivered overnight.

If the Third Prince's safety was already in danger when the sender wrote the dispatch, then by the time the bird reached Lulupel, the prince had most likely already perished.

The Third Prince's death.

I had a vague, budding conviction that perhaps that was the cause of my regression.

Because tomorrow, I was scheduled to receive a marriage proposal from the Third Prince.

The regression begins with the Third Prince's courtship. And the regression ends with the Third Prince's death.

A suspicious scent wafted through the air.

'...Maybe this time, I'll try meeting the Third Prince.'

Throughout my previous three lives, I had never once met the Third Prince.

After all, as a villainess, I had no intention of getting entangled with the main characters and dragging my promising life down the gutter.

I wanted to avoid both the female and male leads, but the one I was most wary of was, without a doubt, the sub-male lead—the Third Prince.

There was absolutely nothing good that could come from my involvement with him.

The Third Prince, who falls for the female lead, kills Hariella—who stands in her way—and then destroys himself.

That was the tragic fate allotted to the villainess and the sub-male lead.

Anyone in their right mind would naturally avoid even the slightest entanglement with such a toxic relationship.

But I suppose I was a bit off-kilter in the head.

Perhaps I had a few screws loose.

Fourth regression. I was probably a little unhinged.

---

Ten days had passed since I tied a green ribbon around the messenger bird that had come with a blue ribbon and sent it back.

At last, a reply arrived from the Third Prince's side.

"His Highness the Third Prince says he shall pay a visit to the Rüdebekia Court shortly."

Count Lulupel, who had been reading the letter with a tense expression, spoke in a voice noticeably softer.

Fortunately, the letter's contents seemed favorable.

Truth be told, Lulupel had not given a clear answer regarding the Third Prince's marriage proposal. He had merely invited the prince to the Rüdebekia Court.

It would have been understandable for the prince to take offense at being put on the scales by a mere court count, but unexpectedly, the Third Prince's side raised no issue.

For reasons unknown, they seemed quite eager.

From the day the Third Prince's reply arrived, everyone in the count's household was busier than ever.

First, Count Lulupel was frantic, carefully inspecting the Rüdebekia Court, which had not received an Imperial visit in years.

Meanwhile, the Countess Lulupel was busy preparing a welcoming banquet for the Third Prince.

And finally, as for me...

"...Anna, do I really have to do this?"

"Of course! We must show His Highness the Prince who the most beautiful woman in Letitia is!"

"I'm pretty even without all this."

"I certainly agree with you, my lady. But didn't His Highness come all the way from the Asphodel Court?"

"So what?"

"I heard somewhere that the capital is where the most radiant beauties from across the continent gather. It can't hurt to be thoroughly prepared!"

"No, I don't need to..."

Because Hariella is the most beautiful woman in this entire world...

I swallowed the words I couldn't say to Anna.

Anna, as usual, deftly ignored my remark, which could easily be taken as self-praise.

Instead, she focused all her attention on slathering some unknown liquid onto my hair.

After finishing the dubious hair pack, we then had to try on no fewer than twenty dresses.

With fire in her eyes, Anna was fiercer than any bull charging at a red cape.

Overwhelmed by Anna's blazing enthusiasm, I resigned myself to going along with whatever she wanted.

We also selected jewelry to match the dresses and fitted shoes to go with them.

As Anna flipped through the catalogs, she wore the happiest expression in the world.

Meanwhile, I was completely drained, sprawled limply across the sofa.

"Do you enjoy shopping that much, Anna?"

At my question, Anna's eyes went wide.

"No?"

"You should at least wet your lips before you lie..."

"I'm not lying! How can you say such a careless thing? You may not know this, my lady, but attending to one's lady's toilette is the dream of every handmaiden in the world!"

Anna chattered on with a dreamy, enchanted expression, like a lovestruck maiden.

"This is a first! Who knows when such an opportunity will come again? How could I possibly treat such fortune half-heartedly?"

As Anna said, throughout my previous three lives, I had never once received such lavish attention.

I rarely even left the manor, let alone the territory, so there had never been any need to dress up.

If I'd known Anna would be this delighted, I should have attended even a small tea party or two.

'Right. I'll just let Anna do as she pleases. What could possibly go wrong?'

I resolved to let Anna have her way as much as she wanted.

And so, the day of the Third Prince's visit finally arrived.

I had been turned into something akin to a living Christmas tree.

My entire body sparkled, and with every step, glitter scattered in all directions.

When Anna had first started dressing me, I never imagined it would come to this.

We had entered the Rüdebekia Court at the crack of dawn, before the morning star had even faded.

I was so sleepy and exhausted that I had no energy to keep track of what Anna was doing.

The Third Prince was scheduled to arrive around noon. There wasn't much time left.

Surely it wasn't too late to change into something else...

"Anna, isn't there another dress? No matter how I look at it, this is too much. I'll look ridiculous."

"Good heavens! Who would dare make a fool of our lady? Even if it were His Highness the Prince himself, he would not dare! If His Highness were to insult you, this Anna would sacrifice her very life to—"

"No, Anna! That's enough! Stop right there! Say another word and it's lese-majesty!"

Given Anna's fervent reaction, it seemed I would have to give up on changing clothes.

Anna's already dramatic loyalty had swelled to twice its usual size over the past few days.

She had even started saying things like "I would sacrifice my life for you" as if it were a catchphrase.

Needless to say, I had no need for Anna's life. Nor did I want her excessive devotion.

What good could come of a villainess's loyal handmaiden in a third-rate romance novel, other than dying in her place?

I firmly declined Anna's devotion and tried to shut her up. In doing so, I happened to meet her eyes.

Anna's gentle gaze was brimming with amusement.

Oh, it was a joke, was it?

I let out a wry laugh and removed my hand from Anna's mouth. Not that my small hand had been doing much to silence her anyway.

"Hehe. Feeling a little less nervous now?"

Anna asked me as I slumped onto the sofa, collapsing under my own tension.

I looked up in puzzlement, and she raised a finger, pointing at my palm.

"You've had such a tense expression this whole time, you know? And your fists were clenched tight."

"...Was I?"

"Yes, you were. You were so tense that even I was trembling."

"...I see."

So I had been nervous.

As Anna pointed out, there were red nail marks on my palm.

I was afraid of meeting a mere eight-year-old boy.

"I understand how you feel, my lady, but don't worry too much. His Highness the Prince is coming all this way to the distant Rüdebekia Court. The victory banner is already in your hands, isn't it?"

Anna spoke with the simple, clear-cut certainty of someone solving an easy math problem.

But her words brought me little comfort.

Whether the banner in my hand was one of victory or a white flag of surrender was something I wouldn't know until I'd actually gone through it.

After all, dying at the Third Prince's hands was the fate this world had ordained for Hariella.

I had already died once and been granted four new lives, but I was still afraid of death.

No one could know how long this special privilege would be granted to me.

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