"THE CROWN PRINCE AND HIS TROOPS HAVE RETURNED!"
Everyone gathered to see the crown prince riding his horse, followed by the knights on their horses. Some were injured from the war, and there was a captive walking at the back while his hands are chained.
"Welcome back, Your Highness!" everyone exclaimed, bowing in respect.
The mothers hurriedly covered their children's eyes upon seeing the human head held by the crown prince—the head of the enemy king.
Upon reaching the plaza, the crown prince tossed the head to the knights and commanded them to display it in the plaza for three days.
.
.
"Crown Prince has arrived!" the knight declared as the gate swung open.
Everyone got off from their horses.
"We'll meet you later," Philip said, bowing.
Philip Delacour, the Knight Commander and the crown prince's right-hand man, was the son of a former Knight Commander and the crown prince's best friend.
Everyone paid their respects as the Crown Prince walked away. Mikhail ignored them, heading straight to the Main Palace.
.
.
....
"Welcome back, Your Highness!" all the servants bowed, their voices filled with respect.
As usual, Mikhail ignored their gestures of welcome.
"I'm glad you're back safe," the Emperor remarked.
"No one can kill me on the battlefield," Mikhail replied confidently before bowing to his father.
Mikhail Serolf, the Crown Prince of the Serolf Empire, known as the devil of the battlefield.
He cast a brief glance at Aria, who now stood beside his father. He couldn't believe she was here to welcome him back.
"Welcome back, Your Highness," Aria curtsied.
It's true, he's the most handsome in the empire, with hair as black as his father's and eyes as red as blood.
Only the members of the Serolf Family have red eyes.
"I thought you didn't have time to visit this place," Mikhail said.
The Emperor cleared his throat. "Mikhail, you've heard that your cousin lost her memories by accident, right? She's here to meet you," he explained.
"It's her fault, she's so clumsy and let that accident happen to her." He walked towards her. "I don't care if you lose your memories, just don't get in my way because I won't hesitate to kill you." He whispered to her, sending a shiver down her spine.
"I only came here because Uncle wants me to recognize you," Aria explained.
"Uncle?"
"Mikhail, be nice to your cousin. She has already changed. I hope you two will soon get along with each other," the Emperor implored.
"Nah, that will never happen," Mikhail replied dismissively before walking away. "I'm tired. I want to rest. Don't let the servants disturb me."
Aria watched him, her eyes filled with uncertainty. What had the Princess done to make him hate her so much?
.
.
That night, a banquet was hosted to celebrate the crown prince's return. Mikhail maintained his cold expression, appearing bored and eager to leave.
The Emperor made an announcement, but Mikhail paid no heed.
"Aahh, I want to leave," he muttered to himself, growing increasingly impatient. He noticed Aria talking with her husbands.
"Since when did she become close with them?"
He glanced at the door, then at his father, who had finished speaking. Without a word, Mikhail stood up.
"Where are you going?" the Emperor asked.
"It's so stuffy here. I want to get some fresh air," Mikhail replied before making his way out of the room.
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.
Aria left her husbands and approached the Emperor, noticing that Mikhail was not with him.
"Uncle, where is Mikhail?" she asked.
"He went out for a while. Don't mind him, just enjoy the party," he reassured her with a smile.
"Of course, I won't mind him. I'm glad he left. Every time he looks at me, I feel like he's killing me with his gaze," she admitted.
The Emperor laughed. "Haha, he's always like that, but believe me, he's a nice guy."
She just pouted.
"I feel thirsty," she said, scanning her surroundings.
"Here, Your Highness," a servant offered her a glass of wine.
"Thank you," she smiled.
The servant smirked and then left immediately.
She drank the wine and walked back to her table.
Ten minutes later, she started feeling strange. Something inside her body was burning; she felt extremely hot. She had already drunk many glasses of water, but the burning sensation persisted.
"W-What the hell is happening to me?"
She looked at her husbands who were engrossed in conversation with other nobles. Not wanting to bother them, she stood up and walked outside the banquet hall.
"W-William…C-Cedrik…where are you?" she called out, struggling to catch her breath.
So hot! My body is burning hot. I also feel sleepy. I need to ask for help.
As Aria walked through the hallway, she realized she couldn't afford to make a scene at the party. Returning to her room seemed like the best option.
"G-Gosh, why are there no servants around? I-It's really hot! I want to take off this thick dress," she muttered to herself, the heat becoming increasingly unbearable.
In her dizziness, she accidentally bumped into someone.
"I-I'm sorry," she stammered, avoiding eye contact as her vision grew blurry.
"Are you all right? Do you need help?" the man asked.
She looked at him, struggling to focus, but his face remained hazy.
"Aahh, my eyes are blurry... I...I feel...s-so hot," she managed to say before sitting down on the floor.
The man smirked and caressed her face. "You're feeling hot? Do you want me to help you remove that burning sensation inside your body?"
"H-How did you know that…" she said.
"Sshh..there's no one will help you except me.." he touched her neck then down to her breast.
Pervert!
She tried to push him but she's too weak now. "H-Help…"
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.
Mikhail, on his way back to the party, spotted Aria sitting on the floor, being harassed by a man.
"L-Let go of me," she pleaded, her voice shaky.
Tsk. this woman, what the hell is she doing?
He felt a surge of anger, striding purposefully towards them.
"Hey you, what the fuck are you doing to her?" he demanded, his voice sharp and filled with authority. He walked towards them.
The man's eyes widened when he saw Mikhail and immediately ran away.
"Tss..." he clicked his tongue, then turned his attention to Aria, who was lying on the floor. "Hey, are you alright?" he asked.
"H-Help me... I feel so hot," she struggled to say, her body burning up.
Mikhail quickly helped her to get up. Her body is burning.
"What happened? Are you sick?" he asked, trying to assess the situation.
"I... I don't know. My body is so hot... I feel something burning... i-inside my body," she stammered, her face flushed.
"What else do you feel?" he inquired, searching for any clues.
"A-All is just...burning."
Did she get poisoned?
He quickly carried her to his room.
"Did you eat or drink something strange?" he pressed for more information.
"I... I just had what they were serving at the party… Is there something…you can do… t-to remove this?" she asked, struggling to catch her breath.
"I will put you in the bath. Let's try cold water," he said.
He placed her inside the bath tub.
"Is it still hot?" he asked.
She nodded weakly.
Damn it!
Did someone drug her drink?
Her body was still hot and her face was all red.
"I think it's better to call your husbands," he suggested.
He was about to leave to get them when she grabbed his hand. "D-Don't leave…"
Fuck! There was no time to call her husbands! The banquet hall is too far from my room.
He had no choice. Don't blame me after this. This is your fault after all.
.
.
....
Aria woke up as the birds chirped outside the window, her head throbbing and body feeling disoriented.
"Mmm..." she moaned, attempting to sit up. "Why did no one wake me up? Ughh…my head hurts," she murmured, cradling her head.
Did I drink too much last night?
She glanced around, realizing she wasn't in her familiar room. "Huh? W-Where am I?" This room was larger than hers. She looked down at her clothes. "EHHH???" Why am I only wearing a robe?
She tried to recall the events from last night. "Damn it! Why can't I remember how I got here? All I remember is the moment I left my husbands... Then I...I drank the wine and...I felt something strange, something burning inside my body...then I..."
She gasped, covering her mouth.
"I...I saw Mikhail...he brought me here and..."
WAAHHHHHH!!!
"What happened last night? The last thing I remembered was he took me to the bathtub. I can't remember what happened next." OH MY GOD!!!
"Waahhh.. Mom! Dad! Help me!"
Is this his room?
She took a deep breath and stood up.
"I was so drunk last night. I want to know why I am only wearing a robe now. Is he the one who changed my clothes?"
Nooo!
She covered her body. "He didn't see me naked, right?"
She bit her fingernail anxiously. "But I can't ask him directly. What if he decided to kill me?"
She walked back and forth. "Argh! I can't think anything!"
Huh?
She noticed a huge box on the table. "What's this?"
She opened it. It was a beautiful dress with a letter placed on top.
'I already threw your dirty clothes. Don't look for me, I don't want to see your face.'
Aria's face turned pale, and she sat down, stunned. "H-He's mad…d-did I..did I harass him while I was drunk?"
Oh my God, that's the worst!
.
.
....
At Mikhail's office,
"Why do you want to investigate the servants who served at the party last night?" Philip asked.
"Someone put an aphrodisiac in the Princess' wine," Mikhail replied while reviewing the reports.
He hadn't seen the guy's face clearly because he had quickly run away upon being spotted.
"What? But how did you know?"
"I saw her last night struggling in the hallway, she could barely cope with its effects."
"Why have I never heard of it?"
"I kept it a secret because I wanted to capture the criminal."
"How is the Princess now?"
"She looked pitiful last night, so I took her to my room and placed her in the bathtub, which helped her alleviate the effects."
"Is that so? Then I will order some knights to investigate all the servants in the palace."
Mikhail paused as he remembered what had transpired the previous night.
He shook his head.
"By the way, what's your plan for the captive?" Philip was referring to the last prince of Firenzan. After they had defeated the enemies, including the royal family and nobles, they had captured the second prince. The Serolf Empire had already taken over their country, and all the remaining civilians would serve them.
"I almost forgot about him. Send him to the Princess. She enjoys torturing slaves, so she will find amusement in him."
"Yes, Your Highness." Philip bowed and then left.
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.
Aria peeked outside; no servants were around.
They didn't stay here long due to fear of the crown prince.
She quickly ran, passing through the back of the palace.
She was panting when she reached the Ruby Palace.
"Your Highness!"
She almost jumped in shock.
"I've been looking for you, you were not in your room when I went there," Jenny told her.
"I…I went for a walk...morning walk, hehe." she scratched her head.
"Sir William and Cedrik were also looking for you. We searched the whole palace, but we didn't find you." Jenny said.
"I...I went to the garden of the Imperial Palace...that's right, I am there. That's why you didn't see me." she explained.
"Your Highness!" Cedrik exclaimed when he saw her. "Where have you been? We thought you were kidnapped," he said, looking worried.
"Everyone is searching for you," added William.
"I went to the garden of the Main Palace," she explained again.
"Please don't go out without me, it is too dangerous for you to go alone," William urged, looking serious.
"Okay, I'm sorry. This will never happen again, I promise," she said, raising her right hand.
Phew…
They almost caught me.
.
.
....
Aria was having her tea in the garden when she saw Xerxes approaching. She had invited him because she wanted to ask him something important.
"This is the first time you invited me for tea." He sat down.
"I will not beat around the bush. Tell me, how did we meet and why did I agree to marry you?" she asked directly, trying to ascertain if she could trust him or if he might be an enemy.
He smiled. "I don't know if you will believe me since you lost your memory, but it was our agreement."
He then proceeded to recount the events from their past.
Aria had a great passion for hunting, she ventured into the forbidden forest to capture a unique wild beast. However, she faced a formidable opponent that killed all her knights and left her trapped.
The Magic Tower, where Xerxes lives, is located in the forbidden forest. He happened to pass by the place where Aria was. When he saw her, he immediately stopped at the large tree branch. Aria begged him to help her without knowing that he was the Grand Master of the Magic Tower.
"You want me to help you? I don't help people easily. What can I get in return for helping you?" he had asked.
"I...I will marry you!" Aria had offered, using her escape tactic.
Aria always uses that excuse every time she needs to escape from something or someone, then at the end, she will pretend she didn't say such a thing and forget them.
"How can I be sure that you won't run away from our agreement?" he asked.
"Don't you know who I am? I am the Princess of this empire and I never take back my words!" she had firmly stated.
He smiled. "Then let's seal this contract together."
A magic scroll appeared, blood from Aria's wound flew to the scroll and marked it. Xerxes bit his thumb and marked on it too. "It's settled."
Xerxes killed the beast and helped her return to the palace.
.
.
The Princess is really giving me a headache. Aria thought to herself.
"I'm sorry if I forgot about our agreement, I became busy and I also lost my memories." She explained.
"Let bygones be bygones. The important thing now is we are already married." Xerxes responded, his smile not escaping her notice.
Yeah, your smile is so broad.
Now that she knew Xerxes had no connection to those who sought to harm her, could she trust him enough to ask for help?
"Your Highness, Sir Philip is here." William said.
Why do people love interrupting?
Philip arrived with a man being chained.
He bowed. "Greetings, Your Highness. I came here to deliver the Crown Prince's present for you."
"Present?" Where?
Philip kicked the man, forcing him to kneel in front of her. "He's the present he brought from the war."
WHAT???
The three looked at the man confused.
"Why would he give me this guy?" she asked.
"Because you love to torture slaves, that's what he said." Philip answered.
Damn you, Mikhail!
After a brief conversation, Philip left the man with her.
"Are you going to make him your slave? I heard he's a prince of Firenzan," Xerxes asked.
"What?" I can't believe that man gave him to me! Did he really want me to die? What if this guy takes his revenge on me?
"I can't have slaves anymore. I have already made a promise to myself." she said.
"So what's your plan?" Xerxes asked.
Deep in thought, Aria looked at the man who hadn't even glanced at them and kept his head lowered.
"He's a prince, I can't treat him like a servant. What if I made him my special guest instead?"
"Haha, I don't think the crown prince will be happy about that. But since he's yours now, you can do whatever you want with him. I am leaving now, Aria." Xerxes kissed her forehead and disappeared before them.
"William, please order the servants to prepare his bath and clothes. Also, clean a vacant room in my palace. He will stay here as my guest," she instructed.
William hesitated at first, questioning why she would treat the enemy so specially.
But in the end, she followed her orders.
Aria lowered her head to see the man's face. "Tell me, what's your name?"
The guy slowly looked up at her, and her eyes widened when she saw his face.
What a handsome guy!
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.
....
Maximilian da Firenze, the last prince and the sole survivor of the da Firenze family. After annihilating his whole family and country, the Crown Prince of Serolf empire captured him and brought him here. The palace guards hit him many times yesterday. They didn't even give him food, only water. He brought him here to make him suffer.
But he never realized that he would be out of the prison and brought to the Princess.
The prisoners had warned him that the Princess of this empire was as malevolent as the Crown Prince.
He looked around the room the Princess had provided for him.
'I can't have slaves anymore. I have already made a promise to myself.' That's what she stated earlier.
"The Princess mentioned that this room might not be as spacious as the others in the palace, but she hopes it will suffice for you," Cedrik informed him.
He remained silent.
This room was far too luxurious for a captive like him.
"Don't worry, the Princess is a kind-hearted person. The servants will be here soon." Then Cedrik left.
As if I believed you.
I won't trust anyone in this empire. Does she believe she'll gain my trust because she provided this kind of room?
He opened the window and gazed outside.
I will take my revenge on this empire. Just wait and see.. I will kill all the members of the Serolf family. I will do to them what they did to my family and country.
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"Wow, thank you for delivering all of these." Aria was so happy when she saw all the boxes of clothes that she ordered from her favorite shop in the capital. She personally received it at the entrance.
"Hehe, we are the ones who want to thank you, Your Highness. Thank you for trusting our shop. We truly appreciated it." said the owner who personally delivered her orders.
She smiled at them.
The servants carried the boxes.
Aria was on her way back to her palace when she saw Mikhail.
Ack!
"Of all the people I could encounter, why does it have to be him?"
He saw her too, but he ignored her and continued walking.
Psh...he acted like nothing had happened. Grr! I really want to know what truly occurred last night, but I can't ask him directly. He said he didn't want to see my face, but how will I know if I harassed him or not?
God! I was so drunk last night, I cant really remember everything!"
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.
"I don't know what your size, but I hope these clothes will fit you." Aria said.
She was now in Maximilian's room.
"If you need anything, you can call the servants. You can also roam around my palace freely, but I have assigned guards to monitor you and ensure you won't escape."
He stared at her. "For a captive like me, this is too much. You don't have to treat me like this. So, tell me, why are you doing this to me? What's your real intention?"
"I have no ill intentions towards you. I know what my cousin did to your country. Even if I apologize, I know your hatred towards my family won't fade away. So, I won't treat you like a prisoner here. Here, in Ruby Palace, you are my special guest." She smiled.
Tsk. What a cunning person. Do you think I will believe you?
Maximilian turned around.
"I know you don't trust me, I understand." She said.
He remained silent.
Cedrik walked towards Aria and whispered, "Princess, Captain Ryu is in your room."
She introduced Ryu to Cedrik since he was the one who had helped rescue Cedrik from the kidnappers.
"All right." She looked at Maximilian again. "I will leave now." Then she departed, accompanied by Cedrik.
"Trust you?" He smirked.
Now I have found a perfect plan. I will use the Princess for my revenge.
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.
"The kidnappers died?" Aria was surprised upon hearing the news.
"Yes, after being released, they immediately returned to their village but someone killed them during the night." Ryu reported.
She couldn't believe it. Those people…they were about to change their lives..but why this happened?
"I believe the ones who killed them were the same people who ordered the kidnapping. They did it to ensure that the information about them remained hidden," Ryu added.
"Tss..." She bit her fingernails. "Those people are acting so fast. What about the spy inside the palace? Have you figured out who it is?"
"We have identified the spy, but the Crown Prince's knights captured him first in secret. It appears that the Crown Prince also found him suspicious."
"What if the Crown Prince finds out about it?"
"Wouldn't it be beneficial if he did? Perhaps he can help us."
"I doubt he would. He would probably let me die instead. Anyway, if you manage to extract information from that spy, please inform me immediately."
"Yes, Your Highness... Now, don't stress yourself too much. I heard the Crown Prince presented you with a 'gift'."
"Nah, he tossed his captive at me. He's his responsibility, but he handed him over to me without even asking."
"That man is dangerous; he's our enemy. We can't predict what he might do to you. I will also keep a close watch on him."
"Thank you, Ryu," she said.
.
.
....
The servant who put an aphrodisiac into Aria's wine was finally captured. The knights took him to the dark room. It was the room where Mikhail tortured his captives.
Mikhail kicked the servant, causing him to vomit blood.
Philip raised the servant's head.
"Tell me, who ordered you to put an aphrodisiac into the Princess' wine?" Mikhail asked.
"I..I don't know anything…I.. I just f-followed him.. AAAAHHHH!" the servant screamed in pain when Mikhail broke the bone in his right hand.
"What did you say? I can't hear you clearly," Mikhail said.
"Don't try to lie or else you will die." Philip said.
"I..I really..d-don't know him. H-He's wearing a mask! H-He said he would pay me a large amount of money if I put that powder in the Princess' wine…I didn't know it was an aphrodisiac..P-Please…B-Believe me.." the servant begged.
A guy wearing a mask?
Mikhail glanced at Philip. "Find information about the masked guy he mentioned."
"Yes, Your Highness." Philip said.
He glanced at the servant. "And kill him."
.
.
Sighed.
"I've become so stressed these past few days because of those people that want to kill me." Aria muttered.
She looked around. William was still following him.
"Bruh, I want to escape from William and find Mikhail. I know it would be a very dangerous act but I really want to know what happened that night. I don't want William to know about it, so I will find Mikhail in secret." she muttered.
"Uhm..William.." she approached him.
"I'm hungry. Could you find Cedrik for me?"
He stared at her.
"Please.."
"All right, I will look for him, but don't leave here, I will return immediately." he said.
"Thank you!" she smiled.
William left her. When she saw that he was already far away, she ran as fast as she could.
She found herself at the training ground of the knights.
She peeked at them.
Oh my!
Her eyes sparkled when she saw the knights half naked. They are now changing their shirts because their shirts are full of sweat from the training.
Those abs and muscles… she's drooling.
But her face turned pale when a sword suddenly pointed at her neck.
"What are you doing here?"
She slowly turned around and saw Mikhail. He's the one who's pointing the sword at her. Scary!
"H-Hehe…p-please don't misunderstand.."
"Are you here to flirt again with my knights? Too bad, I already fired those knights that flirted with you last time."
What? The Princess did that? And why did he also fire them? They are victims!
"I didn't come here to flirt with your knight. I came here for you."
He raised an eyebrow. "Why? You want to flirt with me too?"
"O-Of course not!" her face turned red.
Mikhail put his sword back in its sheath. "Then why are you looking for me? I told you already that I didn't want to see your face."
"Ehem." she cleared her throat. "It's about what happened that night, the victory party."
Mikhail turned his gaze away from her. "What do you want to know? I'm busy."
"I just want to know what happened after the party? I'm drunk and don't remember everything. All I knew was I woke up in your room. Why am I there in the first place?"
She doesn't have to know that someone used an aphrodisiac on her. It will bring trouble.
"You're right, you are drunk and totally wasted, we met in the hallway you called me and…" he smirked. "Do you really want to know what happened next?"
"I...I do." she gulped.
He walked towards her and whispered to her. "That night..we did it in my room.. I didn't expect that you really enjoyed it and even moaned my name many times.."
Her eyes widened. She fell on the ground because her knees were shaking. "W-We really.." she covered her mouth.
"Pft.. Hahaha!" Mikhail laughed.
She stared at him.
"I'm just kidding, what's wrong with your face? Do you think I'm interested in you?"
This guy!!!
"Seriously, don't kid around!" she complained.
"I knocked you out that night because you were too drunk and began to do weird things. It's embarrassing. It's the only way I can help you." Yes, he really knocked her out to stop the effect on her body.
Knocked her out?
That explained why her body hurts so much!
"I already answered your question, now leave. Seeing your face really makes me sick." He glared at her.
She looked at his eyes. "One last question. W-Why do you hate me so much?"
He grinned. "Did you forget? Ahh right, you lost your memories. Then let me remind you why I hate you so much." He whispered to her. "I hate you because…you took everything away from me."
What does he mean?
"I..I don't know what you mean. You are the crown prince, I can't take anything from you. Besides, in the future the throne will be yours."
"Tch. I'm not talking about the throne. Never mind, just get lost." He then left her.
What did the Princess take away from him to make him hate her so much?
.
.
Mikhail clenched his fists, consumed by the resentment that lingered from his father's blatant favoritism toward the princess.
Right, she took his father's love away from him…
When she arrived at the palace, his father's attention shifted entirely to her. He spent more time with her. He played with her while he only played with the knights and servants. He talked with her during breakfast, lunch and dinner. She can play freely while he has to study and train. When they fought, his father went to her side and got mad at him. For him, she was the evil princess who robbed him of his father's affection…
Fueled by this, he immersed himself in relentless studying and training, shutting out the world around him. At fifteen, he eagerly joined wars, yearning for victory to win his father's approval. Every time there's a war, he's always there and killing.War became his obsession and no one could stop him. He relaxed every time he saw that blood, transforming him into a fearsome individual.
Mikhail closed his eyes. "It's all your fault."
.
.
Aria stayed in her room the whole day, troubled by the crown prince's intense disdain. "Jenny, why do you think the crown prince despised me so much?"
"I don't have any idea, Your Highness, but I heard when I first came here to the palace that you two have been on bad terms since young." Jenny replied.
A sigh escaped her lips.
"Anyway, how's Maximilian?" she asked.
"He stayed in his room all day." Jenny answered.
"Is that so?" Seems like he still doesn't trust the people here in the palace.
I can't blame him, he's now inside his enemy's den, everything he sees is a threat to him.
"Your Highness, it's time for you to visit your husband's chamber." Cedrik came in.
"Oh I almost forgot." She got up.
"You don't have to force yourself, Your Highness. If you're uncomfortable sleeping with them, you can tell them directly," Cedrik expressed concern.
"It's fine, Ced. We agreed only to sleep, and nothing beyond that. They won't touch me without my permission," she reassured.
"R-Really?" Both Jenny and Cedrik were taken aback.
All this time are they just sleeping?
She smiled, but her smile faded after turning around and walked away.