Rather Than My Fiancé, I Will Choose You!

"Your Grace, please believe me! I have never done any harm to Lady Aira. Not only have I not done anything wrong, I haven't even planned anything against her!"

A frail woman cried uncontrollably, screaming desperately to defend herself in front of a man dressed in the fine attire of a high-ranking royal noble.

Her body was limp and covered in marks from torture, and she was being forcibly dragged by two of his knights.

"Why are you treating me like this, just for defended Lady Aira, who could have framed me?! She has nothing to do with you, Your Grace. But, as for me ... I am your fiancée!"

The woman, Darissa Na Eiren, once known for her beauty like a rare blue orchid, now looked like a dead, dried-up flower.

Her once radiant Arctic blue hair, as bright as the sky, now appeared dull, tangled, and unkempt.

She was the daughter of a Marquess, a noble whose lineage should have ensured her proper care.

Well ... that was in the past.

Now, she ....

SLAP!

"Shut your mouth, you filthy wench! You disgust me!"

After becoming engaged to the young Duke Antshel Gracious, the life of royal nobility she had known since childhood had turned into a miserable, suffering existence.

Her body was marked with scars, and her once-beautiful face was now marred with scratches-a sight considered taboo for any woman.

THWACK!

"Ahhh!"

Darissa let out a high-pitched scream as one of the knights stepped hard on her bare foot while dragging her toward the Crown Prince of the Aethelred Kingdom.

How could she not feel the pain, when her fragile bones were crushed under the weight of the knight's iron boots, fitted with armor?

Her golden eyes were clouded with tears as they trailed down the long corridor toward the royal meeting hall where the Crown Prince sat.

Her bloodstained trail and the tears marking her path soiled the palace's pristine hall.

Darissa remained silent, biting her lower lip hard.

Her thoughts racing, feeling as though she might be losing her mind.

Who wouldn't go mad after being treated like this for almost six years? The endless suffering, both physical and mental, inflicted by the man before her.

She longed to grab the sword at Duke Antshel's side and end her life, or perhaps, it would be better to drive it through that bastard's heart and send him straight to hell.

"Your Highness, His Excellency Duke Antshel of Gracious seeks an audience with you."

SQUEEK~

The door to the meeting hall creaked open, and many nobles were shocked by Duke Antshel's arrival, dragging something behind him (Darissa).

They quickly moved to the sides of the hall.

Duke Antshel dragged Darissa to the Crown Prince and bowed to him.

The Crown Prince, lounging on his throne, casually flicked his sharp sea-blue eyes toward the Duke.

"What is the matter, Duke of Gracious? Lord Antshel?"

Lancient Re Aethelred, the second prince of the Aethelred kingdom, now crowned Crown Prince, rested his cheek on his hand, bored.

His golden hair swayed with his movements, one long leg propped up casually, only to shift to a more serious expression as he gazed at Darissa's pitiful state.

"Y-your Highness. Don't you know? Lady Darissa Na Eiren sent an assassin to kill me. How could she do this to me? What did I ever do to her? I am still trembling with fear at the thought of that incident, and thank heavens, Lord Antshel saved me and taught Lady Darissa a lesson."

Aira Qianzy, the Crown Prince's fiancée from a Viscount family, spoke while pointing at Darissa with a fearful look.

Everyone in the room sympathized with Aira, yet cursed Darissa in the same breath, except for Lancient, who clicked his tongue and shot an irritated glare at Aira.

"Is that so, Lady Aira?"

"Y-yes, Your Highness, please believe me!"

All the strength holding Darissa's frail body gave way, and she collapsed to the floor, right at the base of the stairs leading to the Crown Prince's throne.

This was truly a terrible incident, something she had never wished for, even in her dreams.

Furthermore, no one would stand by her side to defend her, especially since her family had recently died one by one.

"Your Highness, please approve my request to annul my engagement to Lady Darissa Na Eiren. And please, punish her as severely as possible for daring to harm the Crown Princess!"

"Hm ... very well, I agree."

Lancient sighed for a moment, then smirked. He lifted his hand, signaling for the attention of the other nobles.

"I, Lancient Re Aethelred, hereby officially declare the annulment of the engagement between Duke Antshel Gracious and Lady Darissa Na Eiren!"

Darissa didn't know what to feel now-whether to be happy that her engagement was ending or sad because she would soon face punishment.

There was a chance she could be executed.

"Ah, and also, ...."

Her hope of being saved by anyone was now gone, as the Crown Prince was about to announce her punishment.

Despite living quietly, avoiding trouble, and never interacting with others, let alone causing harm, why was she considered a criminal based on baseless accusations from a woman everyone thought was virtuous?

But this woman was only pretending, deceiving everyone with her fabricated innocence.

"Nurufufufu."

A soft chuckle and a disdainful gaze hidden behind the wide paper fan of the Crown Princess sent shivers down Darissa's spine.

The woman smirked with satisfaction, her expression unnoticed by anyone except Darissa, who looked on in disbelief at what she had just witnessed.

"... I, Lancient Re Aethelred, hereby declare that my engagement with Lady Aira Qianzy is also annulled!"

SHOOT!

"W-what?!"

Aira Qianzy, who moments ago was laughing with delight, assuming the bothersome woman would soon face her doom, froze in shock.

Her fan dropped heavily to the floor.

Without hesitation, she stepped forward with light feet toward the royal star.

"Your Highness, what do you mean by this? Surely you don't mean it, right?"

The palace hall filled with murmurs from the gathered nobles, their disbelief mirroring Darissa's.

Aira immediately fell to her knees before the Crown Prince, her tear-filled eyes pleading with him in a trembling, sobbing voice.

"Your Highness, how-hics ... how could you do this to me? Weren't we supposed to marry at the end of this refreshing spring season?"

"Yes, but that was before. I no longer wish to be deceived by you, my lowly lady."

Lancient rose from his throne, his sturdy frame moving to lean closer to Aira, who was frozen in place.

A faint light blue aura radiated from his body, and his sapphire eyes glowed with intensity.

His veined hand reached out, gently brushing her cheek before gripping her jaw with lethal intent.

"You dared to betray my love in secret, and now you pretend to know nothing? Hah. Someone like you deserves worse than the woman over there."

"Your Highness, you can't-"

"Silence! How dare you interrupt me before I finish speaking?" Lancient snapped, his sapphire eyes flashing with anger at Duke Antshel.

His grip on Aira's jaw tightened, causing the woman to tremble in terror.

"Did you think I wouldn't find out? You and that foolish Duke have been carrying on an illicit relationship despite both of you being engaged. Isn't that hilarious?"

Lancient Re Aethelred, a man known for his calm demeanor and disdain for chaos, now erupted with unrestrained anger, unleashing emotions he had buried deep within himself.

In the past, Lady Darissa of House Marquess had approached him once or twice, imploring him to be more attentive to his fiancée.

When told that his fiancée was close to the Duke of Antshel, he dismissed it, placing his trust in Aira instead.

But why?

Why did she betray his trust so cruelly?

Why did she shatter his heart so completely during the celebration of their engagement?

On that day, after a tiring day preparing for the festivities, he had inadvertently stumbled upon Aira.

She was locked in a passionate embrace, her lips-lips he had never even touched-entwined with those of Duke Antshel.

They were lost in each other, hidden behind the Crown Princess's palace.

"Lowly wretch. Get out of my sight and never let me see your disgusting presence again. You sicken me!"

Lancient flung Aira aside, leaving her sprawled pitifully on the floor, trembling and weeping.

He passed her with an icy gaze and calmly descended the steps.

Darissa, realizing the Crown Prince was approaching her, immediately lowered her frail body until her forehead touched the floor.

She didn't know what had just happened, but she was certain this was her happy ending-or rather, the end of her misery through death.

"Lady Darissa Na Eiren."

The Crown Prince stood mere inches from her bowed head, his authoritative voice calling her full name.

"Please, lift your head and look at me."

"Forgive me, Your Highness, but how could someone as lowly as I dare to look directly at the kingdom's shining star?"

Lancient bent one knee and knelt before her, his sorrowful gaze fixed on the frail woman dressed in tattered clothes, her body adorned with countless scars.

This woman shared his pain.

Instead of receiving love and affection from her partner, she had been met with betrayal and wounds that would never fully heal.

Determined, Lancient resolved to bring happiness to this woman who had been drowning in an ocean of suffering, to lift her to the skies of endless joy.

"My lady."

He gently placed his hand on her small shoulder, lifting her fragile body.

Her disheveled hair tumbled down her back like ocean waves, revealing her true beauty.

Her golden eyes, filled with wonder, met his calming sapphire gaze.

"With all due respect. Lady Darissa Na Eiren, will you marry me?"

"Haah ... Lancient sighed internally. "If only my heart had found this woman first."

Everyone was shocked by the Crown Prince's unexpected actions.

Darissa blinked several times, her mouth opening and closing in disbelief.

"I-I ...."

SWUNGG!

Before Darissa could respond to the sudden proposal, a sharp blade pierced through the Crown Prince's left chest, directly striking his heart.

No matter how strong or magically gifted a human was, an injury to the heart-the very essence of life-was fatal.

SPRRATT!

With one swift motion, Duke Antshel withdrew the sword, causing the Crown Prince's blood to splatter everywhere, including on the horrified face of Darissa.

"Y-Your Highness!" Darissa screamed.

The gathered nobles erupted in hysteria, fleeing the hall in a chaotic scramble for the exits, each solely focused on saving themselves.

None paid attention to the Crown Prince's condition.

"Ukhokh!"

Lancient's trembling hand clutched his blood-soaked mouth as he gasped for air.

The burning pain and his struggling breaths tormented him. His vision blurred, and his consciousness waned as his body swayed and began to collapse.

But Darissa, despite her frailty, caught him in her arms.

"Your Highness!"

Panic-stricken, Darissa cradled Lancient's weakening body. His warmth faded with each passing moment.

Her hands, now drenched in his blood, trembled uncontrollably as she tried to staunch the bleeding in his chest.

Lancient's body convulsed as more blood spilled from his mouth.

His once-soothing sapphire eyes dimmed, his lids growing heavier.

Despite his life slipping away, he whispered hoarsely, his voice choked with effort.

"My ... lady ... will ... you ... ma ... rry ... me ...?"

DEG!

"H-Huh? Y-Your Highness?!"

Darissa froze as the kingdom's radiant star-once so brilliant-began to fade, leaving an unfinished promise.

Her tears flowed uncontrollably, and her chest ached with unbearable sorrow.

"Ah, if only my heart had found you first. Perhaps I would have been far happier with you than with my wicked fiancé, Your Highness," she thought, her soul wailing.

"With all my heart, I accept ...."

Darissa cupped Lancient's pale face and lowered her head toward his.

Without hesitation or revulsion, she pressed a tender and heartfelt kiss to his bloodied lips.

"... Your Highness, the Crown Prince of Aethelred," she whispered softly.

A blinding white light enveloped them, marking a moment Darissa would never forget, even in death.

For that was her first and last kiss.