Her first lifetime was the textbook romance. A saintess and a crown prince fell in love and defy all odds. Cara loved Vernon and he loved her with all of his heart. Their meeting was still on the crown prince birthday banquet. Cara raised and born on the temple as she was supposed to serve there all of her life but her father sent her to the ducal residence after knowing her existence. She was so naive with etiquette for she was learning to be a priestess yet she took bridal classes. Duke Tiexery wanted to expand her power so instead of sending his legitimate daughter the first miss, he send Cara. After learning she was born with Saintess mana was even more profitable since the royalty desired divinity.
Everything was perfect. She performed blessings on the crown prince and announced to be engaged to him after. Though Vernon was quite skeptical with his sudden engagement to her, his doubts dissolves later on as she shown her full devotion and sincerity towards the crown prince. She later on harbor Vernon's affection that they totally fell in love with each other. They were totally compatible and perfect to each other. Everything went well not until she gave birth to the first prince.
The empire went chaos. The Ducal house of Equinoux rebel against the royal family. Her family got an upper hand as her father lead the aristocracy. The royal family starts to turn to each other to get the throne and it is tough for Vernon. The sudden betrayal took a toll that it planted traitors everywhere. Her mana starts to wither and the temple turned her back on her. She was abandoned with the temple and offered no help to the crown prince. War breakouts that territories were invaded by the ducal lords of different houses. Cara's origin were immediately questioned as her power dimmed. Even her son who would inherit the throne didn't escape from the critics, masses began to doubt the crown prince's heir, and numerous rumors of some rendezvous with men who once chased after her surfaced. The one who suffered the most was Vernon, who was once a glorious prince now pressured to abandon her to secure alliances with neighboring kingdoms.
She was forced to be exiled to the northern territory for her safety and her son. The crown prince who loved her the most lost his life to the succession as he firmly defended his throne to his brothers. Cara who was naive and thought about marital happiness fell into oblivion. She thought she would end up with a happy life with Vernon as they ruled the Argent Empire. Their son would live happily in the refuge of their empire and would soon inherit the throne. But her life was cut off as they discovered that her infant child was killed before her and even burned alive. Her former admirers defiled her that she goes insane. Her spark of hope in living was gone that she slit her throat using the hair accessory adorned to her. The thoughts of reuniting with Vernon and their child, her guilt of being born with Equinoux duchy rammed on her mind in her last minutes. Her happiness was snuffed out by the same family who made her meet the crown prince. Poor Vernon, how couldn't he blame her for his doom? She could still remember how Vernon reassured her that he would never marry a neighboring princess to replace her as his queen. If only she will be given one more chance, she will make sure that Vernon will never loses his throne.
With her ernest wish, she was granted for a 2nd life. This time she left her naivety and still met the crown prince on his birthday banquet. In this life, she exposed her Ducal family of their deeds and corruptions and plans of rebellion towards the throne. With the deed she did, the masses back her up to be the crown princess with her righteous conduct. Her actions became more calculating that Vernon who loved her in her first life, loath her. Her marriage with Vernon this time is rather unhappy. The consequences of her actions make Vernon suspicious of her marriage to him. She grew evil and angsty. Her jealousy of noble ladies skyrocketed, and she punishes their entire family. Vernon who once adored her bravery grew apart from her. He became colder and colder each day meeting with her is a punishment.
Can you blame her? Cara asked herself. She was afraid the same fate would befall them, yet her actions snowballed into the controversy of her mana being corrupted. Numerous assassinations were laid for her. She became so controlling that she used her divine magic to those murderers in her first life. The people grew weary with her profound actions that they protest of her abdicating her official title. Her stripped from being the Queen? Has she dragged away from Vernon? For the first time, she realized she had become evil. She was so consumed with wrath that she forgot she was a Saintess with divinity. I'm sure Vernon will forgive her she thought. She ensured that Vernon's throne will not be inherited by anyone else.
To Cara's surprised, Vernon agreed of stripping her from the position of the queen. Felt betrayed she grew rampage that her divine powers turn into darkness. Mages tried to subdue her but they couldn't. It was only when Vernon, who confronted her she grew calm. It was supposed to be a peaceful confrontation, she was about to concede but she was to be stabbed that day. Vernon shielded her from the sword lost his life. She can't forgot how he embraced her and coax her not to grew in rage.
"My pitiful queen, why are you suffering?" he said as he stroke her hair.
She stuttered looking at him vomit blood.
"You were a Saintess who were full of love but you grew corrupted because of me."
"I..." she burst into tears. "I just don't want to lose."
"But you lost me. Do you think that by doing those things will earn my heart?"
She grew silent. This second life made her so evil that she forgot about Vernon.
"With your cheap stunts of making me marry you, punishing those pitiful nobles who give their affections and adorations and making the empire in full mayhem do you think I have affections left for you?"
"But I loved you! I made sure this empire will be established for you!"
"But now looking at you is unbearable." he stroked my cheeks with his trembling hands. My tears streamed as he wiped them with his hands.
"I hate you that when I look at you I felt lost." Vernon kissed her lips bitterly and groaned for the last time.
She knew that Vernon exhaled his last breath as she leaned on him. Her surmountable sorrow casted on her escaped.
"But I loved you." she hugged him tighter that the sword pierced her too. She kissed his cold lips one last time before they collapsed on the ground. As her vision dimmed, she uttered her wish in desperation.
"If God will grant us our last lifetime, I hope we never entangled with each other. Our paths may not be crossed nor blossomed with the same fate again."
To my Vernon, my beloved, my source of happiness and my guilt.