"WHAT? I HAVE A HUSBAND???"
Aria fell from her chair upon hearing the revelation.
"We forgot to inform you, Your Highness, that you have three husbands," Jenny added.
T-Three husbands???
Was the princess out of her mind? Why did she marry three husbands? Was she practicing polygamy?
In her world, she feared committing to romantic relationships, fearing her marriage might fail. But this woman has three husbands?
"I thought Lord Claudius would be coming to visit you since he already heard that you're awake but…" Jenny didn't continue what she was about to say.
"Is Lord Claudius my husband?" she asked.
"Yes, Your Highness, he was your first husband, but you two do not get along," Jenny answered.
Indeed! There's nothing to expect. It's impossible for the princess to have a loving husband. She's evil, people hate her.
"He also didn't visit the Princess when she was unconscious," Cedrik added.
"But why does he hate me so much?" she asked.
"You forced him to marry you, Your Highness," Jenny answered.
What the hell?
"But don't worry Your Highness, you two look perfect for each other," Jenny said.
Yeah whatever. "By the way, who are my other husbands? You guys said I have three."
"It was Lord Gawain Strauss!"
"Then, does he hate me too?"
"No, in fact, he truly loves you, Your Highness."
Ehhh? Someone fell in love with the Princess?
"They said that Lord Gawain had feelings for you since childhood but the Princess doesn't love him," Jenny scratched her head.
So why would she marry him if she doesn't love him?
"Y-You only marry him for…fun," Cedrik said.
The hell with that woman!
Poor man, the princess only played with his feelings.
"You have never visited him since your marriage," Jenny added.
She felt bad for him…
"How about the other one?" she asked.
"It was Prince Rasheen of Targaryan, but he isn't here right now. He's busy helping his family solve some political issues," Jenny explained. "But don't worry, the Prince will return soon, and take note, he's very clingy to you."
She sighed. Judging from what the two said, it would be hard for her to deal with her husbands. The first one despised her, the second one was neglected, so that means he hates her too and the other one is missing in action.
Life isn't really easy, huh…
.
.
....
Aria couldn't stop herself from overthinking. Until now, she still couldn't figure out how she could return to her world, along with her plans to change the princess' image.
The princess had three husbands, but they didn't get along well. She didn't even know them, since they hadn't shown up for her. She wanted the princess to have a good relationship with those men, but how would she start?
"ARGHH!!! I think I'm going crazy!!!" she shouted.
"I'm hungry, everytime I feel stressed I always eat a lot of food."
Aria decided to go outside to look for Jenny, but when she opened the door, she was surprised to see a man about to knock on her door.
He was also surprised to see her.
"S-Sorry.." he bowed.
"U-Uhh, hi! Can I help you?" she asked.
Who is this man?
He had lilac hair and lavender eyes.
Damn! He's so handsome!
"I-Im sorry to disturb you Your Highness, I heard that you have finally woken up…I was so..w-worried but I can't visit.." he lowered his head.
He was hesitating.
"You see, I lost my memories..may I know what your name is?" Aria asked.
"I'm Gawain Strauss, Your Highness.." he bowed again.
WHATTTT???
He's the Princess' second husband! The neglected one.
Based on his looks, she could tell that he missed the Princess so much, he looked so worried but shy at the same time. He didn't have the courage to visit the princess because she never gave him attention.
"O-Oh…Lord Gawain, it's nice to see you." Maybe it's time to change his relationship with the princess. "You came to visit me, right? I was planning to have tea. Would you like to join me?"
Gawain's eyes sparkled, this was the first time that the princess had invited him to have tea together.
"Of course, Your Highness!"
She smiled at him.
He was also surprised to see her smiling. The rumors are true, she is slowly changing.
.
.
....
"How are you feeling now?" Gawain asked.
They were having tea.
"I'm feeling fine now, but I'm bored. The Emperor would not allow me to leave the palace. I badly want to visit the capital but he said it's too dangerous for me since I lost my memories. I heard people hate me."
"Even if people hate you, I will never hate you, Your Highness."
She smiled. Stupid princess, how come she ignored this man? He's so sweet.
"Thank you, I appreciate it."
He smiled. "Anything for you my Princess."
"Call me Aria.."
Gawain's eyes widened, she even allowed him now to call her by her first name. She's really giving him attention now.
Lord Gawain Strauss was the only son of Marquis Strauss of the North. He was known for being a gentleman and a genius. He became the youngest professor at the Academy, but after one year he resigned and married the princess. He gave up everything just to serve his wife, but the Princess never showed interest in him. She never visited his chamber or even eat together. All this year he has been so lonely and longing for love from his wife.
"By the way, I heard you love reading books. If it's okay with you, can I visit your chamber sometime?" she asked.
It's embarrassing!
She had never approached a man before.
"Sure! I have lots of books in my study room. You can visit me whenever you want," Gawain said with excitement.
"Thank you," she smiled again.
They continued their conversation while drinking their tea.
.
.
....
"Oh my! Did you see that?"
Gasp!
"The Princess and Lord Gawain!"
"This is the first time I've seen them having tea together."
"Wow, they look like a perfect couple!"
"Then it's true that the princess has already changed?"
Claudius stopped walking when he heard the servants.
"What's going on there?" he asked his Secretary.
"It seems like Lord Gawain and the Princess are having tea together," The Secretary answered.
He raised an eyebrow. Since when did the princess have an interest in that man?
He walked towards them to see what was going on. He sees them laughing with each other.
"Seems like the rumors are true, the Princess really changed after the accident," said the Secretary .
"Don't be a fool, she's just pretending," after saying that, Claudius left.
.
.
....
"I enjoyed our tea together, Aria," Gawain kissed her hand.
"Me too. Let's have breakfast together tomorrow," Aria said.
He smiled. "See you tomorrow."
She waved at him, then entered her room.
She saw Cedrik waiting for her.
"Your Highness!" he smiled.
Aww, he's so cute.
Cedrik is two years younger than her, he's like a little brother to her.
Aww, I miss my brother in my world.
"Have you been waiting for me for too long?" she asked, then sat on the couch.
"No, I just arrived a few minutes ago. I saw you and Lord Gawain in the garden," he said.
"We had tea. I regret that I never gave him attention. He's a nice person," she smiled.
Cedrik smiled, he liked the princess but he didn't have the right to fall for her, he was just her butler.
"I'm glad that you're getting along with him. Do you want some cake, Your Highness? I prepared this for you," he offered.
"Wow! It looks delicious!"
He smiled again while watching the princess.
.
.
....
The following day.
"Really? This is for me?" Aria was so happy when she saw the puppy that
Lord Gawain bought for her.
"He's so cute, thank you so much Gawain," she hugged the puppy.
Arf! Arf!
The puppy looks like a wolf but it's very cute.
"I'm glad that you like it. You told me that you're bored so I decided to give you a pet to play with," Gawain said.
Originally, the Princess hated animals except horses, but based on what they see right now, it looks like the Princess adores them.
"Hahaha don't lick me!" Aria sat down on the floor, playing with the puppy.
"Waahh Your Highness, the floor is dirt----"
Gawain stopped Jenny and shook his head.
"Why don't you play with it in the garden?" he suggested.
"Right! Let's go to the garden!" Aria ran into the garden.
Gawain was so happy to see that Aria was enjoying herself.
"Cedrik, let's play!" Aria called to him.
Cedrik also ran and played with her while the others were just watching them.
.
.
....
"What's that noise?" Claudius stopped reading when he heard noises outside.
"It's the Princess, my Lord, she's currently playing with her puppy," his secretary explained.
"A puppy?" he stood up and looked outside the window. He saw Aria running with the puppy that his secretary mentioned.
He thought she hated animals except horses?
"Why don't you join them?" the secretary said.
"Don't kid me, duties are more important than playing with such an animal," he went back to his seat and continued his work.
His secretary just nodded.
.
.
....
"Your Highness, it's time for Hachi's bath," Jenny said.
"All right, please take care of him," Aria handed Hachi to her.
She had named the puppy Hachi.
After Jenny left, she went to the balcony. It was already evening, and the sky was adorned with a multitude of stars.
"I wonder when I will be able to return to my world? I miss my family so much."
Staying in this place wasn't bad, but she knew she didn't belong here. Her real family aren't here.
"I wonder if they are missing me too."
What if she couldn't return?
"No, it can't be…I will find a way back to my world no matter what."
She spotted a shooting star, she closed her eyes and made a wish.
.
.
....
Claudius went to the balcony of his room to get some fresh air. He was exhausted from reviewing all the reports. The night was peaceful, the Princess hadn't caused any trouble for these past few days.
Is this also part of her plan?
But it was impossible for the princess to be kind for a few days. What was her real intention?
He noticed the Princess on the balcony of her room. Her eyes were closed. Is she praying?
She looked innocent with her eyes closed.
.
.
....
"Please," Aria begged the Emperor, pleading for permission to visit the capital, but he firmly refused.
"I've explained it's too dangerous for you. Stay here until your memories return," the emperor sternly reiterated.
"Hmph! I doubt I'll ever regain the princess' memories," she mumbled.
"But Sir William will accompany me, along with Jenny and Cedrik," she said.
"Even with more knights, I won't allow it," the Emperor insisted.
Aria frowned, frustrated by the Emperor's overprotectiveness.
With no other options, she departed the Main Palace.
As she walked outside the Ruby Palace, she noticed an open window to the study room. Curiosity piqued, she peered inside, finding Gawain engrossed in a book.
"Gawain!" she called to him in a hushed tone.
Gawain looked towards the window and smiled upon seeing her.
"Aria, what are you doing here?" he asked, walking towards her.
"I just left the Main Palace after visiting the Emperor," she explained. "What are you reading?"
"This is a romance novel," he revealed, showing her the book.
"You enjoy romance?" she asked.
"Haha, I typically don't read books like this, but the story is intriguing, so I borrowed it from the library."
"Oh, it seems you're busy. I won't disturb you," Aria said, preparing to leave. However, Gawain unexpectedly grabbed her hand.
She was surprised.
"P-Please, can you stay for a while?" he requested.
His eyes were sincere, and she found it hard to refuse.
She smiled and nodded.
.
.
....
Cedrik crumpled to the ground as a servant's punch landed on him.
"Hahaha, do you really think we'll respect you just because you're a butler now?" one of them taunted. "How pathetic! To us, you'll always be trash, an idiot slave!"
Their laughter filled the air, fueled by jealousy over his closeness to the Princess. Cedrik clenched his fists, his determination not to cause trouble for the Princess outweighing his urge to retaliate.
A servant grabbed his collar and sneered, "Hey, have you heard the rumors? They say the Princess is just pretending to be kind, fooling us all!"
"Shut up! You don't know the Princess like I do. She's not what you think!" Cedrik shouted.
"Ah, really?" The servant responded with another punch.
The Princess is kind, he thought to himself, feeling frustration over the misunderstanding.
.
.
"Cedrik I've been looking for you—" Aria stopped when she saw the bruises on Cedrik's face. "What happened to you?"
Cedrik hesitated, then muttered, "T-This is nothing, Your Highness. I just slipped and hit my face on a rock." He avoided eye contact.
"No, I don't believe you," she said firmly, her concern evident. She gently touched his bruised face. "Who did this to you?"
"I-I'm fine, Your Highness. You don't hav---" Cedrik began, but Aria's anger cut him off.
"I'm asking you who did this to you!" Her tone was stern.
He lowered his head, sighing in resignation. Finally, he confessed, "Fine, if you must know, someone here... they did this."
Aria's expression softened, and she said, "I don't want this to happen to you again. Don't you know I'm worried?"
Cedrik looked at her, his eyes welling up with emotion.
"I promise I will protect you. As long as I'm here, no one will hurt you," she declared, pulling him into a reassuring hug.
Tears welled in Cedrik's eyes, touched by her words and actions.
.
.
....
Aria watched Cedrik sleeping on the couch, her anger boiling within her.
"Those bastards, I will hunt them down and make them pay. How dare they hurt my baby brother! They dared to punch that cute and innocent face!" she seethed.
Leaving Cedrik to rest, she called for all the servants. They trembled in fear upon seeing her burning eyes. Had she finally regained her memories?
"Y-Your Highness, why did you call us?" the Head Butler stammered.
"Don't you know that Cedrik was beaten?" Aria snapped.
Their fear intensified, sweat pouring down their faces uncontrollably.
"Cedrik is no longer my slave, I've already announced that he's now my butler. If someone dares to hurt him, it means they are disrespecting the imperial family."
Everyone quickly kneeled.
"Y-Your Highness, we had no idea…I was in the kitchen helping the chef prepare your food."
"M-Me too, Your Highness! I...I was cleaning in the hallway…"
Each servant gave their explanations.
"So, you're telling me that I'm making up stories?" Aria glared at them, silencing them.
One of the gardeners gathered the courage to raise his hand.
"Y-Your Highness….I…I saw who did it…" he said, lowering his head.
"Who?" she demanded.
"Them!" he pointed at the two male servants. "I saw them beating Cedrik!"
Aria fixed her gaze on the two trembling servants. "Is that true?"
They gulped in fear.
"Y-YOUR HIGHNESS!!! P-PLEASE FORGIVE US!" they begged.
"What you did is unforgivable, you need to be punished. Sir William!" Aria called for her knight.
"Your Highness?" William stepped forward.
"Kick them out of the palace. Ensure that Cedrik and I never see their faces again. Do you understand?" she ordered firmly.
"Yes, Your Highness," William bowed and instructed the other knights to forcefully remove the two servants from the palace.
Phew...
.
.
....
The next day, Cedrik noticed a change in the servants' behavior—they were surprisingly nice, even greeting him.
"Ah, Jenny," he called to one of them.
She looked at him expectantly.
"Have you seen the Princess?" he asked.
"Ohh, she's with Lord Gawain. They're in his study room," she replied
The princess has been devoting a lot of attention to Lord Gawain lately.
Well, he's her husband after all.
"Thank you. I'll wait for her in her room," Cedrik said before leaving.
...
"Huhu, I can't do this anymore..." Aria whispered to herself.
Reading wasn't her forte. She felt overwhelmingly drowsy every time she picked up a book. Manga was more her style, but she didn't have a choice—she needed to accompany Gawain to strengthen their relationship.
Gawain noticed her struggle. "Are you tired?"
"Huh? No, I'm fine," she pretended.
He smiled. "If you're tired, let's go back to your room."
"No, I'm really fine. I just feel sleepy, but I can still hold on."
He gently patted her head. "Then sleep."
"Ehh?"
"It's fine if you want to sleep here. I'll stand guard," Gawain assured her.
"But..."
Her eyes betrayed her, revealing her true exhaustion. She was truly sleepy. The last thing she knew was seeing Gawain placing his blazer over her.
.
.
....
One week had passed, yet Lord Claudius never showed his face to Aria. She attempted to visit him, but he was always outside the palace, engrossed in meetings with the ministers.
"Is he avoiding me?" she pouted, realizing this would jeopardize her mission to get along with the Princess' husbands.
Cedrik noticed her troubled expression as they walked. "Your Highness, is there something bothering you?"
"It's nothing. By the way, is Hachi asleep already?"
"Yes, Your Highness. I've also prepared snacks if it wakes up."
Gawain visited his father that day, so she took a walk outside with Cedrik, enjoying the refreshing air.
"The sky is so clear," she remarked, gazing upward.
Footsteps approached, and she turned to see a handsome man walking with his secretary.
Why are there so many handsome men showing up in the palace?
"Who is he?" Aria whispered to Cedrik.
"He is Lord Claudius," Cedrik answered.
Ack! This handsome man is her first husband?!
Now she understood why the Princess fell for him.
She gave a polite curtsy, smiling. "It's nice to see you, Lord Claudius."
Claudius stared at her, leaving her puzzled.
Don't just stare at me, please greet me too!
"I told you to keep your distance from me, right?" he finally spoke.
She was shocked. What a cold-hearted guy!
After saying those words, Claudius left, leaving her frustrated.
"Don't mind him, Your Highness," Cedrik comforted her.
...
"Hachi, come here!" she called her puppy, hugging it tightly. "Did you miss me? Do you want some snacks?"
"Bark! Bark!"
"You can rest now, Cedrik. Thank you for today."
"My pleasure, Your Highness," Cedrik acknowledged and left.
She sat on the sofa, pondering the situation. "It's confirmed that Claudius really doesn't like the Princess. Hmm, now I am curious about the Count's daughter. I must check her background."
...
"Oh yeah… they really love each other. What a wonderful love story," Aria said after reading the information about Claudius and Lady Lory. "They have loved each other since childhood. Their families also had an agreement that when they turned the right age, they would get married. But the Princess ruined everything."
Sighing, she realized there was no way Claudius would accept her.
In her world, if a married couple was not happy with their relationship anymore, they would file for divorce.
"Wait a minute… right! Divorce! Why won't the Princess divorce him? If I set him free, I guess he will be happy, and it will decrease his hatred for her."
"Sir William, are you there?" she called.
The door opened, and William entered.
"Is there something you want, Your Highness?" he asked.
As time went on, Sir William became even more handsome. Oops! C'mon, Kaye, this is not the time to be impressed with William's appearance!
"Can you call Cedrik?" she ordered.
....
"Your Highness, this is Minister Perez. He's the Minister who was in charge of your marriage before," Cedrik introduced.
"Thank you. You may leave us now," Aria said.
Minister Perez glanced at Cedrik as he left—a former slave who now served as the Princess' butler.
"What can I do for you, Your Highness?" Minister Perez asked.
"Please have some tea first."
He nodded and took a sip.
"I know that you've heard Lord Claudius and I aren't getting along. After a year of being married, I've realized I'll never have his heart. I understand that he's also suffering because of our marriage, so I've decided to file for a divorce."
Minister Perez almost spilled his tea due to the sudden decision. "Y-You want to divorce him?"
Of course, he was surprised. The Princess had forced Claudius into this marriage and threatened him. She had made sure Claudius would never find a way to divorce her, but now she wanted to divorce him?
"A-Are you sure of your decision, Your Highness?" he asked, wiping his sweat.
She nodded. "Yes, it's time for me to set him free."
.
.
....
Claudius burst into Aria's office upon receiving the divorce papers.
"What's the meaning of this?" he demanded, his face serious, thrusting the divorce papers toward her.
She smiled at him calmly. "It's our divorce paper, and I've already signed it."
"You're really divorcing me? Or is this another one of your tricks? Whatever you're planning, I promise you it will fail."
"I think you've misunderstood, Lord Claudius. I'm divorcing you because we don't have feelings for each other. I knew you loved someone else, so I'm setting you free. It's your right to pursue your own happiness. I've reflected on all the wrongs I've done in the past and I want to apologize."
Claudius couldn't believe this sudden change. All these years he had been frustrated, trying to find a way to divorce her, and now she herself filed for it.
"Are you certain about this? There's no turning back after this," he cautioned.
"I know."
He stared at her, still in disbelief.
"Okay, just ensure you never show yourself to me again. I'll sign this now." Claudius grabbed a pen, signed the paper, and placed it on her table before leaving.
Aria felt a sense of relief. Mission accomplished!
OPPA GANGNAM STYLE!!!
She danced in happiness, feeling the weight lifted off her shoulders.
Lord Gawain and her finally had a good relationship. Cedrik was no longer her slave, and she also set Lord Claudius free. The good deeds she did for them would surely reach the people throughout the empire. As for her other husband, she would think about it after meeting him. Her only problem now was how she would return to her world.
.
.
....
"Lory!" Claudius was excited as he arrived at Lady Lory's mansion.
He couldn't wait to share the good news.
"C-Claudius, what's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?" she asked, puzzled.
"I have good news! The Princess finally divorced me!" he exclaimed.
Lory was also surprised by the news.
"I'll leave the palace soon, and then we can get married."
Lory's expression changed as she gently removed his hand from her. Claudius was confused.
"Why? Aren't you happy? The Princess won't pester us anymore."
"I'm happy she's finally set you free, but…"
"But what?"
"I'm sorry, Claudius…but Lord Austin and I are getting married soon."
Claudius' face turned pale. "W-What did you say?"
"W-We have already agreed on the marriage. Tomorrow I'll leave the mansion to stay at the Finnigan residence."
Lord Austin Finnigan was the son of the Marquis of the South.
"B-But why? What about us? W-We promised each other, right? Y-You were supposed to wait for me…"
"I-I'm sorry…but I can't break off the engagement."
"D-Do you still love me?"
She lowered her head. "Thank you for all the love you gave me…please, forget about me," Lory started walking upstairs.
"Lory, wait!" he was about to follow her, but the butler stopped him. "LORY!"
.
.
....
Claudius was furious. He believed this was also part of the Princess' scheme. She divorced him because she knew Lady Lory was already engaged to someone else.
"You witch, you never change! You want to humiliate me, don't you? I bet you're laughing right now because of what happened to me!" he shouted, clenching his fists.
"Where's the Princess?" he stormed towards her room.
"Lord Claudius, the Princess is resting now," William stopped him from entering.
He glared at William. "And who are you to stop me?" you're just a knight.
"It's my duty to protect the Princess. Your behavior is not good for the Princess' condition."
"Condition? She's not sick! That woman is pretending she lost her memories and is acting like she has changed!" he yelled.
Aria heard the commotion outside. She opened the door and saw the two men arguing. "What's going on?" she looked confused.
"You!" Claudius grabbed her.
"L-Lord Claudius…" she stammered, scared.
"How dare you play your dirty tricks on me!" he shouted.
"P-Please, let go." His grip was hurting her.
"You're hurting the Princess!" William intervened, pulling Aria away and shielding her.
"Tss…I thought you had really changed, but I was wrong. You've only made me hate you even more. I'll never forgive you!" Claudius left after uttering those words.
"W-What happened?" Aria sat on the floor.
"Your Highness, are you all right?" William asked, concerned.
Her knees were shaking from fear. It was the first time someone yelled at her and tried to hurt her.
William looked worried as he helped her inside her room.
Aria sat on the couch and hugged her knees.
But I didn't do anything wrong, I just wanted him to be free.
She started to cry.
When William saw her crying, he panicked. "Your Highness…"
She kept crying. William sat beside her and embraced her.
The Princess had always hidden her weaknesses from everyone. Even though she always hid when she cried, he was still aware that she was crying because her sleeves were always wet. She pretended to be strong so no one would bully her, but now, the Princess looked like a child crying out of fear.
Aria had been hiding her loneliness. She was so depressed because she couldn't return to her family, and it was slowly breaking her.
So when Lord Claudius yelled at her and said those things, all the emotions she had been holding back burst out.