Chapter 1: The Divorced Princess

Sunlight cascaded through the large windows as specks of dust glittered in the air.

In the corner of the dimly-lit room, a woman with silvery blonde hair sat while reading a book. Her flawless white skin, platinum-colored eyelashes, and amethyst eyes made her seem like an enigma.

She was none other than Louisa Charlotte d’Albret—the first princess of the Holy Kingdom of Charule.

“Hey, look, Hoover. As I thought, the boy Leila met at the fountain was the prince of the neighboring country!”

With her eyes still glued on the book, she spoke to the old dog lying beside her. In response, the seemingly asleep Hoover merely glanced at his master, snorted, then dozed off again. Accustomed to that, Louisa would often speak to the dog as she read.

“Oh, how wonderful! Leila was right to trust and wait for him!”

In rapture, Louisa held the book to her chest, and gleefully spoke. There was a tinge of red on her unblemished cheeks, perhaps due to excitement.

The book in her hands was a fairy tale that children would often read—a story about a princess who was held captive in an ice castle by a dragon, and the prince that’d save her.

“Even so, I do have to wonder. Do princes usually dress up as commoners and sneak into the city? If so, I’d like to try it, too. What do you think, Hoover? Moreover, wouldn’t it be easier for Gaius to kidnap me if I’m in the city?”

Hoover didn’t even bat an eye.

…It was as if her question wasn’t even worth reacting to.

Louisa pouted at her dog’s unfriendliness, but deep down, she understood—

—It was nigh impossible.

Even if he managed to kidnap her, there was no way that her father—the emperor—would remain silent. Instead, her father would leave no stone unturned, and severely punish the culprit.

…I can’t possibly let Gaius go through something like that, so I have no choice but to wait.

…At the very least, she should be allowed to dream.

For the past ten years, Louisa had envisioned such a happiness to ward off loneliness.

She knew how naïve and unrealistic she was.

Despite knowing that, she couldn’t just stop.

It’s alright.

In public, I still maintain my dignified appearance, so it doesn’t really matter…

Louisa affirmed to herself.

She was aware that she was the princess of the Holy Kingdom of Charule.

From an early age, she was taught to be dignified, cold-hearted, but also merciful at the same time—for she was a member of the royal family. Since the beginning, she knew what was expected of her, and how to act the part.

All in all, the former was easier than being true to herself.

Hence why it was a piece of cake for her to put on a façade in the presence of others.

As she justified herself in her mind, her pet dog raised his head, as if noticing something.

Louisa stopped immersing herself in her thoughts, and shifted her gaze to him, before muttering softly.

“What is it, Hoover? Did someone arrive?”

Hearing his master’s voice, her beloved dog turned his nose towards her and grunted.

His dark, round eyes affirmed her words.

Louisa smiled.

“You’re a smart and good boy.”

As she stroked his long neck, she tucked a bookmark into her book using her other hand.

That concluded her reading time for the day.

Draping the lace shawl that was on her lap over her shoulders, Louisa stared outside the window.

From that room, she could see the edge of the garden, along with the shimmering fountain pond, basking in the sunlight.

Located in Hermann, the capital of the Holy Kingdom of Charule, the Catterberg Palace was a grand palace where both Louisa’s father—Emperor Matthias III, and his family lived. Since it was the residence of the emperor, the grounds were vast, consisting of six gardens. Amongst them, there existed a garden called “Aquarium of Orlin,” which was decorated with a huge fountain pond and a statue of the sea god, Orlin. The garden itself was made by her father.

The sculpture depicted a muscular man holding a harpoon in his hand, with a huge jar on his back. Perhaps to symbolize the god of the sea, water overflowed from the jar.

The statue—which had an intimidating front-view, also looked frightening from above.

…Louisa began to think that she should’ve picked a different water god. For example, Carta, the goddess of the lake who was renowned for her beauty.

If I recall correctly, my father said that a war god will be more befitting…

…Once, Louisa requested her father to adorn the garden with beautiful flowers, and to erect the statue of Carta instead of Orlin, but he didn’t pay her any heed.

The sea god Orlin was a valiant war god who wielded a giant harpoon to defeat the enemy, while the lake goddess Carta was the guardian deity of the virgins, presiding over integrity.

Nevertheless, Carta had nothing to do with war.

In the history of the Holy Kingdom of Charule, which spanned for over a thousand years, there had never been a time without war, including skirmishes. Therefore, it didn’t come off as a surprise that the blessing from a war god preceded that of the lake goddess.

Regardless, both were the gods that appeared in ancient myths long before the founding of Charule, and didn’t align with the belief of the kingdom.

The Holy Kingdom of Charule believed in Maruelism—a monotheistic religion that forbade idolatry.

However, despite being ruled by an emperor—who acted as the envoy of the Maruel religion—the statue of a heathen god was majestically enshrined in the garden of said emperor.

In short, a blatant contradiction.

She once asked her father about it, and he nonchalantly said, “It’s just aesthetically pleasing, and has nothing to do with religion.” But if he only regarded the solemn sculpture as art, wasn’t it odd to say that ‘a war god is more appropriate’?

Then, it isn’t just a piece of art…

While pondering about such irony, she heard a knock on the door.

“…Come in.”

After Louisa had given her permission, Maria—Louisa’s handmaiden, showed up at the door. As soon as Maria spotted her, the corners of her eyes upturned in anger.

“Louisa! Not only did you leave your room, you also hid in such a place—!”

Louisa laughed—she knew Maria’d say that.

“I’m not hiding, though? I mean, you knew I’d be here, right?”

Indeed, instead of her room, it was one of the palace’s many parlors.

At some point, Hoover had taken a liking to that room due to the large windows and abundance of sunlight. Because of that, he’d often sneak in said room to take a nap. Upon discovering that, Louisa began to spend her time here under the guise of looking for her pet dog.

Most of the time, she’d be sleeping alongside Hoover, and it just so happened that she was reading that day.

“Even if it’s true, that’s not what I mean! Your body is delicate. What if you catch a cold again by sleeping in such a place?”

Louisa smiled wryly at her maid, who anxiously furrowed her brows.

Her body wasn’t exactly “delicate”, per se.

By acting frail, Louisa deceived those around her.

That said, it wasn’t like she was asleep all the time, for she intended to fulfill her duty as a member of the royal family. She’d keep the diplomatic entertainment to a minimum, while mainly doing charity work—such as supporting orphanages and apothecaries. As a result, she was presumed to be a somewhat “sickly” princess.  Not only did she sometimes disdain herself for that, she also didn’t have the audacity to fully neglect her duty as a princess.

Even now, although her maid’s concern attested to the fact that her plan was working, she still felt a pang of guilt.

Having to conceal the truth, Louisa opted to just shift the topic.

“Were you looking for me? Did something happen?”

When asked that, Maria clapped her hands.

“That’s right! Lady Louisa, Your Majesty the Emperor is asking for you to meet him in his office.”

“Father? …To his office?” Louisa tilted her head.

With an emperor as a father, she only got to meet him once or twice a month.

…To be summoned to his office—

I’ve never been summoned to my father’s office.

She didn’t think that a “divorced princess” like her would serve any good.

Once, when Louisa was still 6-years-old, she had married the second prince of Valentia, namely Gaius. As a matter of course, it was political in nature.

Thirteen years ago, in the Duchy of Valentia, a large-scale rebellion waged by a mercenary guild broke out, also known as the Irmani Rebellion. Unable to subdue the enemy alone, the Duke of Valentia appealed for a reinforcement from the Holy Kingdom of Charule, and Charule accepted it in exchange for their iron mine.

As proof of the treaty, the first princess of the Holy Kingdom of Charule and the second prince of the Duchy of Valentia were to be wedded.

Such was the truth behind the marriage between Louisa and Gaius.

Of course, both of them were unaware of it.

As per the agreement, the princess was supposed to be “returned” after the rebellion had been quelled.

It was the so-called “white marriage.”

To put it bluntly, Louisa was a hostage.

For Valentia, who only had so much to offer, the presence of Louisa was necessary to ensure that Charule would continue to send reinforcements until the rebel army had been suppressed.

The political marriage was but a front.

After the duchy had put an end to the rebellion, Charule requested the return of their princess, and withdrew the reinforcements.

Thus, with her return, the “white marriage” that began on a premise of an annulment reached its conclusion.

As a chaste princess, she was expected to be married off after her return, but Louisa collapsed due to high fever. On her long journey, she contracted an epidemic. The fever itself lasted for a week—and at one point—she was teetering between life and death, but it eventually subsided.

However, even after the disease had left her, Louisa had to spend most of her time in bed.

The doctor diagnosed that due to having spent her time in an unfamiliar, foreign country, she was rendered both physically and mentally weak.

Perhaps guilty of turning his young daughter into a hostage, the emperor was quite lenient with her. Knowing that she was ailing, he didn’t complain about her withdrawal from the social circles, and even allowed her to spend more than half a year on vacation.

As a result, the rumors of her frail constitution spread far and wide, and eventually led to a decline in marriage proposals. Even in a marriage of convenience, she was required to conceive an heir, and her fragile constitution posed a threat against that.

Thus, Louisa was referred to as the “divorced princess” of the Charule Imperial family, and was treated as a hassle in court.

Even my younger sisters had already gotten married…

It can’t be helped that they’d refer to me as such.

As a princess, her inability to be wedded off rendered her as worthless.

Anyway, if my father asked for me, I would have no choice but to listen.

Despite her reluctance, Louisa still stood up.

***

Pale, blonde hair akin to summer sunshine. Evocative purple eyes, akin to amethyst.

…Such were the colors unique to the Hohenreich family, also known as the imperial lineage.

Louisa, born as the first daughter of the emperor, grew up with love. As such, it went without saying that the emperor went through a great deal of turmoil, having to let go of his daughter at the young age of six.

But upon hearing that it’d be a white marriage, the emperor resolved himself.

After all, if it was a white marriage, then the honor of his beloved daughter—the imperial princess—would remain untarnished even after the annulment.

Thus, after she had returned to him, he’d then be able to find an eligible suitor for her.

For the sake of that, he’d need to put a swift end to the rebellion.

Besides, the concession of right to the iron mine in the Duchy of Valentia to Charule was deemed worth it.

In the end, Matthias III accepted the deal, and Louisa—aged six, became the bride of Gaius, the second prince of Valentia, who was 10-years-old.

A year later, the princess returned unscathed as planned—which was supposed to be a happy ending.

What the emperor didn’t expect was that Louisa would fall in love with her temporary husband.

The concept of white marriage was never explained to the young Louisa.

Hence why she truly believed that Gaius was her proper husband.

Moreover, despite being a white marriage, the marriage itself still took place in the cathedral, while the couple themselves swore to each other before God—

‘—To be together in sickness and in health, and until death do us part.’

Not only that, Louisa’s initially curt husband turned out to be a blunt yet kind boy.

The gentle boy would always try to protect Louisa.

At the same time, only Louisa knew of his tears and his smile—and the more she knew, the more she loved him.

For us, the marriage was real.

Not only did they care for each other, they also had each other’s back. Whilst it wasn’t all happy memories, the memories of the time she spent with Gaius in Valentia shone brilliantly in Louisa’s heart.

For Louisa, Gaius was her only husband.

She didn’t want to be a wife of anyone but Gaius Julius Caesar Cattanei.

Thus, upon her return, Louisa feigned illness.

While she had indeed caught an epidemic and had a high fever, Louisa pretended to be ailing well after that. After all, Gaius had told her that if she was sickly, it was less likely for someone to court her—and that was exactly what she did.

She was aware of how childish the method was, but it was also their only option.

Unexpectedly, it was successful, and she remained unmarried until now.

As of the present, she was 19-years-old.

…But that might end today.

Louisa went to her father’s office, half giving up.

Beside her was her loyal pet dog, Hoover.

…I was able to come this far because of him.

Hooever was originally Gaius’ dog.

On his seventh birthday, Gaius’ mother brought him a dog, and the two grew up like a pair of siblings. After the passing of his mother, Gaius shut his heart to his father and brother, and only kept Hoover by his side. That alone proved that Gaius trusted Hoover more than anyone else.

After their separation twelve years ago, Gaius entrusted his dog to Louisa.

“Hoover will protect you in my stead.”

When he said that while grasping her hand, she could feel his endless affection, and had an urge to cry.

Just like herself, Gaius was nothing more than a helpless child—one who was swayed by the conspiracy of adults. As such, the only thing he could do for his estranged wife at the time was to give Hoover away.

“To be separated from your master, you must’ve had a hard time as well.”

At the muttering of Louisa, Hoover looked up as if perplexed, before barking gently.

Towards her dog’s reply, Louisa couldn’t help but smile…

…How cute he is.

“Thank you. I love you, my dear Hoover. Please stay with me forever…”

No matter where she went, Hoover would remain by her side.

Hoover; her last remaining connection with Gaius.

To Louisa’s request, Hoover barked once again.

***

“Your marriage has been decided, Louisa.”

Such was the first thing the emperor said.

In the dimly-lit room, his white-bearded face seemed older than usual.

Looking at her father’s round face, Louisa gave a fleeting smile.

“…Is that so?”

At the calm response of his daughter, the emperor seemed taken aback.

“I thought you’d be more surprised.”

“Well, I am.”

In truth, she saw it coming.

From the moment she was called to the office, she already had an inkling.

…I can’t keep feigning illness to postpone it.

Regardless of everything, political marriage was a duty of the royal family that she’d inevitably undertake.

Despite being fully aware of that, she kept resisting solely because of her attachment to Gaius.

She didn’t have any intention of giving up on him.

My husband is Gaius, while I am his wife.

No matter what anyone said, as long as they continued to believe so, it’d remain as the truth.

Refusing to yield to her surroundings, she went on believing that she could marry her chosen partner.

“Even if we’re apart, you are—and always will be—my wife.”

“I’ll come for you.”

Their last promise resurfaced in her mind.

She had tirelessly recalled that memory over and over again, until she remembered it word for word.

—Someday, Gaius will definitely come to pick me up.

Louisa believed so.

Hence why she feigned an illness to buy time until the day he did arrive.

However, she also knew that there was a limit to it.

…And today happens to be the deadline.

Louisa closed her eyes, then slowly opened them.

Looking intently at her father she spoke.

“…Apparently, a person who’d like to marry a good-for-nothing like me does exist.”

“Louisa—!”

The self-deprecating remarks of his daughter knitted the emperor’s eyebrows.

“Don’t be silly! How can you be considered a good-for-nothing!? While you may be a bit delicate, you’re still my smart, noble, and proud daughter!”

“Father…”

Pfft… With a small laugh, Louisa thanked him.

She knew that his words were genuine, for he was the man who’d loved her from the moment she was born.

On the other hand, her father was also a ruler.

…And as a ruler, when the time comes for him to get rid of his daughter, he wouldn’t hesitate to do so.

Indeed.

—Just like during that “white marriage.”

At that time, if not for her father’s decision, she wouldn’t have met Gaius. As such, she couldn’t fully blame him. Nevertheless, it served as a reminder that not all her father’s decisions were made in her best interest.

Then, her father went around the desk and approached her, before caressing her head like he would a child.

“I know that you’re quite taken by the second prince of Valentia.”

“…!”

Even Louisa was surprised by that.

She never thought that her father would discover her true feelings.

“Twelve years ago, when you returned from Valentia, you collapsed from a high fever. At that time, you begged not for your father nor your mother, but for him.”

“T, that’s…!”

She never thought that she’d do such a thing while unconscious. At the sudden revelation, Louisa broke in cold sweats.

“When you were young, I dispatched you alone to a foreign country. Since you’ve endured the loneliness and fulfilled your role, I granted you a temporary respite… Until now, that is. The time has come for you to forget and move on.”

Louisa honestly didn’t know what to say.

In other words, did her father know that she was merely putting up a charade and the reason for it from the beginning…?

…How shameful.

Be it her childish antics, or her indignity as a princess—

—How must those have seemed to her father?

At the same time, she was irked, terribly so.

Even she herself felt that she was at her limit.

She couldn’t flee from her responsibility as a princess forever.

Furthermore, she was tired of spending her days waiting.

She had been thinking of giving up on him and fulfilling her duties as a princess.

…But when someone else blatantly told her to give up, why did she want to cry?

Why did she find herself wanting to do the opposite?

The days I spent with Gaius—those happy days, they’re something that only we can fathom…!

Even if no one took her side, as long as she had Gaius, that alone would suffice.

…Because Gaius was her other half.

She knew full well that it was an illogical sentiment. However, despite knowing that, she didn’t want to be told by anyone else that she should just forget.

Resisting the urge to object, Louisa looked down.

At his silent daughter, her father spoke solemnly.

“…My heart aches to inform you of this, but the second prince—no, he’s a prince no longer. As of the present, he has become the Duke of Valentia.”

Huh? By the second prince of Valentia—

—Does that mean that Gaius took over?

If her memory served her right, Gaius should’ve had an older brother. As if he had anticipated that, her father added.

“The former Duke of Valentia, along with his eldest son—Armando, had perished from an epidemic, leading to Gaius succeeding the position. In order to strengthen his own position, he had taken his late brother’s wife as his spouse. That’s right—he got married.”

The shock pierced her like a gunshot, yet left her feeling as if she had suffered a blunt force trauma.

…Gaius, has gotten married—?

But, during their last meeting, didn’t he—? Under that lilac tree, he certainly said—…

“I pledge my eternal love, loyalty, and devotion to my beloved wife, Louisa.”

The words that Gaius had sworn that day resurfaced in her mind.

…However, even though those were his words, she could no longer recall his voice…

…That day, what kind of voice did Gaius make?

Even though she should’ve remembered.

Even though she’d look back on that memory over and over again, ever since the day they got separated—

—and yet, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t recall his voice.

Nor could she recall his smell, his warmth, or anything else…

Gaius, Gaius… how was he like back then?

For the first time after the twelve years of separation, Louisa realized that her memory was torn at the seams, despite the fact that she constantly thought of him.

Amidst her confusion, Louisa could feel the gentle touch of her father on her shoulder.

“…Poor Louisa. However, if you think of it as an opportunity for you to move forward, it isn’t as awful as it sounds. Forget him, and be happy.”

‘Happiness.’

The word tumbled in her mind, before disappearing into oblivion.

To Louisa, ‘happiness’ was when Gaius finally came to pick her up as he had promised, and their subsequent happily-ever-after—

Such was the ‘happiness’ that she always believed in.

For that ‘happiness’, she childishly feigned an illness, living in seclusion at the farthest part of the vast palace.

…I never stopped waiting.

But apparently, to Gaius, that “promise” was but a child’s babble.

She desperately wanted to laugh.

How ridiculous.

For her to believe in such a lousy promise, and for said lousy promise to cost her more than ten years of waiting—…

Before an ugly, self-deprecating, laughter could burst forth from her own mouth, Louisa spoke up.

…Enough playing around.

“…Father, who will become my husband?”

‘My husband.’

The way she said it, it was as if she was desperate.

In response to Louisa’s question, her father spoke with a wide smile.

“I think you’ll find this surprising, but your partner is Lorenzo Agnadello, the leader of the Republic of Adriace.”

At the unexpected name, Louisa blinked her eyes.

That Lorenzo Agnadello…?

Of course, she knew of that name.

The Republic of Adriace was located to the South of the Holy Kingdom of Charule, and had a long peninsula running from North to South.

The republic itself was a maritime nation that had flourished through trade since ancient times. At the same time, it was also the only republic on the continent where a representative—also known as ‘the head of state’—was elected by the people.

The current head of state was none other than Lorenzo Agnadello. Ever since he became a politician, he had not only demonstrated excellent political skills, but also outstanding diplomatic ability.

By adeptly overseeing complicated domestic and foreign interests, he had not only extended his influence on his own country, but also on the neighboring ones, and was deeply trusted by domestic nobles.

Not only that, he was known to be generous, while his unembellished words and deeds had earned him tremendous support from the general public. Moreover, he was also famous for being the patron of scholarship and the arts. Under him, the Republic of Adriace was enjoying its greatest prosperity.

Nevertheless, the great lofty man himself should be around 50-years-old…

Although younger than Louisa’s father, he was still old enough to be her father.

“Uhm, Father, are you sure…? More importantly, I’m pretty sure that Mr. Lorenzo is married…”

After all, as a man of power, he was in his prime. As such, it’d be weirder for him to not be married.

Moreover, she also heard that his son had entered parliament, while his daughter had gotten married…

Since he already had children, it was obvious that Lorenzo himself was married.

Towards her doubts, Louisa’s father merely shook his head.

“His wife passed away more than ten years ago. But this year, his son has reached adulthood, while both of his daughters have gotten married. As such, he decided to remarry.”

“I see…”

After all that was said and done, having a child with his second wife shouldn’t be a priority.

If such was the case, then it wouldn’t be strange for him to choose someone like her, who was rumored to be sickly and unable to conceive.

“…But why would someone like Mr. Lorenzo go out of his way to marry someone as young as me?”

From their age gap, she could be deemed as a little girl.

As her father’s expression turned complex, he let out a sigh.

“…To be frank, I had a dispute with Adriace two years ago. Before Elandia could attempt anything, I have to form an alliance with Adriace.”

Louisa could see his point.

On the West side of the Holy Kingdom of Charule, stood the Kingdom of Elandia; whilst on the South side, stood the Republic of Adriace. Since ancient times, the three countries had been involved in countless skirmishes, and were infamous for being “Continental Gunpowder Granary.”

Fearing the influence of the Republic of Adriace, the Holy Kingdom of Charule and the Kingdom of Elandia formed an anti-Adriace alliance two years ago.

Although that alliance proved to be effective to an extent, it collapsed after a confrontation between Charula and Elandia over the concession of the territory they had taken from Adriace.

To oppose Elandia, her father then decided to form a coalition with Adriace.

Thus, as a proof of that alliance, Louisa would be married.

Certainly, it was a solid ground for a political marriage.

“I understand, Father. I’m looking forward to the day I can meet Mr. Lorenzo.”

As Louisa smiled and said that, her father nodded several times in satisfaction.

“That’s good to hear. Lorenzo shall be visiting next month. I’ll arrange for a new dress to be tailored for that occasion. Do consult with your mother and pick a suitable one.”

***

She couldn’t remember how she made her way back from the office.

Before she knew it, she was in her room, huddling on top of her bed and staring blankly at the ceiling.

…Marriage, marriage—

—The words flickered in her head.

“…I’m going to get married, aren’t I?”

She muttered it as if it was someone else’s problem, before laughing out loud.

Even though she should’ve been married, and had a husband—her one and only;

Gaius.

“But Gaius… has forgotten about me, since long ago—…Haha.”

From her desolate heart, spilled a brittle laugh.

She didn’t care about anything.

She didn’t want to remember anything.

—Those mesmerizing, happy days…

—Those memories, which she recounted over a hundred times…

…Presently, they were nothing but a proof of stupidity.

Within her, there was a gaping hole—a hole where Gaius once resided.

Now, there was nothing.

“…What an empty person.”

Even Gaius, whom she thought was a part of her, turned out to be nothing more than a frayed remnant of her memory—

—I can’t even remember his voice…

Be it his voice, his warmth, or even his face—they had dulled.

She wondered what had come over her.

…For her to stubbornly hold on to such a faint memory for the rest of her life.

Now, she even doubted if Gaius truly ever existed.

As her gaze wandered aimlessly, a tinge of red flashed across her vision. Instinctively, she lifted her face and saw the fairy tale she was reading earlier on the chest beside her bed. Earlier, when she was summoned to her father’s office, she didn’t take it with her. In fact, she should’ve left it in the drawing room. Therefore, Maria should’ve brought it here.

…Just a moment ago, I was dreaming that Gaius would come for me. Yes, just like the prince in this fairy tale…

However, a fairy tale was called such because it couldn’t exist in reality.

In reality, neither the evil dragons, the kidnapped princesses, nor the magical princes existed…

…Hence why Gaius—a prince of a small duchy, wouldn’t be able to marry a princess of a great kingdom unless he could somehow use magic.

As such, Louisa was probably the only one who remained a child forever.

At the thought, she could no longer look at her fairy tale book the same way, and Louisa quickly averted her gaze.

After all, the childish fairy tale was akin to her own reflection.

Despite how bleak she felt, tears still overflowed from her eyes.

Then, she heard a melancholic cry, and turned to the side—

“—Hoover…”

That pet dog was entrusted to her by Gaius.

That’s right… I was able to keep believing in Gaius because of Hoover.

The witness to those glorious days in Valentia was none other than Hoover. The clever big dog, who once protected Gaius, now protected her. With Hoover by her side, Louisa felt as if Gaius was there with her.

As if worried, Hoover sniffed at her. When he licked her face, Louisa giggled.

“…Good boy, my Hoover.”

While caressing the dog’s long face, Louisa thought to herself—

—the fact remains that Hoover has been watching over me for twelve years.

As if to constitute Gaius, Hoover snuggled to the kneeling Louisa, sharing his warmth.

—Because Hoover was with her, Louisa was spared from a life of perpetual despair.

Which was why she couldn’t possibly hate Hoover.

“…I love you. You’re such a good boy.”

At Louisa’s whisper, Hoover’s beady, black eyes turned to her.

Staring back into his round eyes, Louisa tried to wrap her arms around his taut neck—at that moment, her hands brushed against something.

“T, this is…”

A small scrap of paper was tucked under Hoover’s red leather collar.

Louisa gritted her teeth, her shoulders trembling.

Louisa knew what it was—

For some time now, Hoover would return with something beneath his collar.

It was none other than a secret letter.

Along with the changing of the seasons, a letter would arrive one after another.

‘Today, I saw a kingfisher at the Ruellan River. A long time ago, when we saw that bird together, I recalled you saying, ‘The color resembles that of a jade!’ With your eyes beaming. Someday, let’s look for that bird once again.’

‘The horse chestnut trees at the castle have begun to shed their leaves. You’d often dance atop the bed of leaves. Even now I can see a glimpse of you among the trees.’

‘For the first time this year, it snowed. Looking at the wintery landscape reminds me of the winter back when we were still together. After the snow had piled up, we’d leave our footprints there first thing in the morning. At that time, I began to think that the snow isn’t such a hassle, after all.’

‘The lilac flowers have bloomed again this year. Every time I see this flower, I’m reminded of you.’

Those letters would always conclude with the same sentence—

‘—To my dear wife, Louisa. With love. From Gaius, your husband.’

Indeed.

Those were the letters from Gaius to Louisa.

She didn’t know how he did it, but before she knew it, another letter would be tucked inside Hoover’s collar.

Back then, she was overjoyed, thinking that Gaius had come for her. She’d relentlessly chase Hoover to see him. However, she couldn’t find the person who hid the letter, much else Gaius.

…It makes sense if you think about it.

Suspicious individuals were barred from the castle of an emperor of another country—especially a holy one.

Keeping that in mind, she snuck out of the palace to a secluded villa with low security, but she couldn’t find him there either.

In the end, Louisa figured that perhaps, Gaius still wasn’t ready to pick her up.

Thus, in exchange for that, Gaius sent her many letters to accompany her.

She was truly looking forward to those letters.

After all, through those letters, she could feel connected with Gaius.

She could believe that she was still his wife.

But now, she…

“—W, why…! Why, Gaius…!?”

Louisa stared at the letter between Hoover’s collar, but couldn’t even find it in herself to take it.

…After marrying another woman, how could he still dare to send her a letter?

Gaius was no longer her husband, but another woman’s; while she herself was his wife no more.

…No, maybe, I was never his wife.

…The only ones who insisted that they were a couple were the two of them.

But now, she started to think that she might be the only one.

How ridiculous—!

How foolish—!

For whom did I do all those…?

The intense feeling swirling in her chest—was it anger, or was it sorrow…?

She was angry towards Gaius.

If he had changed his mind, then he should’ve cut ties instead of sending her a bunch of letters.

If he hadn’t sent those letters, then perhaps she’d be able to move on.

But at the same time, she bitterly laughed at herself for deeming that unacceptable.

…That’s right, I did this to myself.

She was in this situation solely because of herself.

Gaius never dictated her to constantly think of him. Humans were free to think of whatever they wanted. At the same time, they couldn’t be forced to love someone. Therefore, to love Gaius was definitely her own choice.

Louisa was aware of her own stubbornness.

In fact, even if he had stopped sending her letters, her feelings were likely to persist.

“…I brought this upon myself, didn’t I?”

For loving him.

For him to choose another woman.

It’s as my father said…

For her to face reality, to let go of the past, and to move forward.

…Oh, I see. Then this might be the last letter.

However,  aware of his marriage, there was no way she could read it.

Smiling bitterly, Louisa wiped her tear-stained cheeks.

Upon removing the letter from Hoover’s collar, she climbed out of her bed, and went to the fireplace. After shredding it, she threw the pieces into the ashes. At this time of the year, the fireplace wasn’t kindled. Nevertheless, when she lit the torn pieces of paper on fire, it burned all the same.

As she kneeled and stared at the flames, Hoover came and snuggled to her side.

“…Are you worried about me? Thank you, you’re such a good boy.”

Rubbing her face against his warm body, Louisa’s eyes then fluttered close.

***

—It’s hot…

It’s excruciating, it hurts…!

In her hazy consciousness, Louisa gasped for breath.

As if her heart had moved to the back of her head, it kept throbbing. The splitting head pain was about to drive her crazy—

—Moreover, her whole body was simmering in heat—

—Help me, somebody…!

She desperately wanted to be delivered from this torment, but her body—heavy like lead—refused to listen to her. She couldn’t even muster a word.

—Help me. Help. Father, mother…!

No matter how many times she called, neither her father nor mother responded.

At that moment, it dawned on Louisa.

Ever since she arrived at Valentia, her voice never reached her parents. No, not just her parents, but also the adults around her. They cared not about what she did, or what happened to her.

Surely, her plea for help wouldn’t reach anyone.

Then, why did she insist on screaming?

If she had truly given up, she wouldn’t have cried, since it was to no avail.

As she thought that, something cool touched her forehead.

When the chill permeated her feverish body, Louisa breathed in relief.

It feels so good…

Then, she heard a familiar voice.

“Do you feel better, Louisa?”

Ah, it’s Gaius…

How could she have forgotten? Gaius, her husband.

In the entire Valentia, he was the only one who protected her.

Because of him, she no longer felt lonely.

Gaius…

Louisa’s eyelids fluttered slightly open.

At that moment, she saw the pained Gaius, his black eyebrows drawn together.

“…Louisa, are you alright? Poor you. …For that woman to make you suffer through this—!”

As he groaned in frustration, tears appeared at the corners of his eyes.

Louisa remembered—

—Oh, that’s right…

Gaius’ stepmother, the Duchess of Valentia, had beaten Louisa with a cane.

That day, she was playing in the courtyard with Gaius and Hoover. Gaius would throw a ball, which Hoover would then catch in his mouth.

Unfortunately, when he chased the ball, Hoover ran into the duchess.

Louisa blanched.

After all, she—the current wife of the Duke of Valentia, despised Gaius for being the son of his mistress. She was ill-tempered, and was rumored to have poisoned Gaius’ mother. As such, it was unknown what she’d do to Hoover, Gaius’ dog.

In her haste, Louisa arrived just when the enraged duchess was about to swing her cane at the frightened Hoover. Her fear had come true.

“—No!”

Louisa immediately clung to the duchess’ arm.

What happened afterwards was that she shook Louisa off, and beat her with a cane in a fit of rage.

Then, there was a strong blow to the back of her head, accompanied by a dull thump.

Louisa didn’t remember anything after that.

As she stared at Gaius in wonder, Gaius tearfully rubbed the back of her head with his cold hand.

“You’ll be fine… I’ve summoned a doctor. It’s alright, you’ll get better soon.”

“How’s Hoover…?”

Louisa asked in concern.

Since Hoover was the original target of the duchess’ anger, she was afraid that the duchess had beaten him after she passed out.

Gaius hissed and contorted his face.

“…You’re an idiot. To worry about others in such a condition…”

When Gaius didn’t answer her question, she only became even more worried.

However, Gaius erased her tears, and spoke with a tearful smile.

“Do not worry, Hoover is safe. As soon as you fainted, the woman panicked, realizing what she had done. She subsequently ran away. She didn’t have time to hit Hoover.”

That’s a relief…

Smiling in relief, Gaius cupped Louisa’s cheek.

“I’m sorry. Due to my own powerlessness, I failed to protect you.”

Her eyes widened at his sorrowful voice.

Gaius seemed about to cry.

Why did he say that…?

Even though he always protected her…

When she was about to point that out, the door opened without a knock, followed by the sound of footsteps.

They belonged to none other than the Duke of Valentia and his wife.

“Well, well, wouldn’t you look at that! Someone has the gall to sashay into the princess’ room after assaulting her!”

…Such was the duchess’ first remark as she laid eyes on Gaius.

Louisa was shocked—

—Gaius did what…?

Even though SHE was the one who struck her with a cane.

Seemingly surprised as well, Gaius stared at the duchess with his mouth agape.

“Gaius, I heard that you struck the princess. What on earth did she do to deserve that?”

When even the Duke of Valentia said such a thing, Louisa was so confused, her head throbbed again.

“That’s not true! My stepmother was the one who did it! She hit Louisa with her cane!”

To Gaius, who argued in protest, the duchess responded in an exaggerated manner.

“Oh, my! What a cruel thing to say! There’s no way I’d hit the princess! Just because you dislike me, you can’t just wrongly accuse me like that! What kind of despicable villain are you!?”

Then, the duchess made a show of sobbing into her palms.

Gaius, shaking with anger, fought back.

“That’s not true!”

But it fell on deaf ears.

“I always thought that you were a rebellious child, but I never thought that you’d do something like this. Prepare yourself for the punishment.” The Duke of Valentia simply said so.

“Father—!”

At Gaius’ heartrending cry, Louisa’s heart ached.

How terrible…

Not only did the duke refuse to listen to Gaius, he selfishly punished him for a crime he never committed.

Why did the duke blindly follow his wife instead of assessing the truth?

Because it made everything easier.

It should be apparent to everyone that punishing a child was easier than punishing a wife. After all, if a high-ranking lady were to be punished, her family wouldn’t likely remain silent.

Gaius’ mother—on the other hand—was low-ranking and had passed away. As such, even if Gaius was falsely accused, it wouldn’t lead to anything.

For that reason, no one took his side.

Then, I’ll do it.

Out of anger and frustration, strength began to well up in her.

With a great deal of force, she pulled her arms, bent her stomach, and managed to get up. Her head was spinning, but she desperately endured it—

—If she didn’t defend Gaius at this very moment, who would?

“Louisa!”

Immediately noticing what she did, Gaius hastily propped her back, as if to support her.

Seeing that the supposedly unconscious princess had awoken, the two adults gasped.

“M-my, Your Highness…! You’re awake…”

In the next moment, Louisa struck her index finger towards the duchess, who rushed frantically towards her.

“—This is the person who hit me. I swear in the name of my father—His Majesty the Emperor of the Holy Kingdom of Charule—Matthias III, and the almighty God, that Gaius didn’t do it.”

Louisa declared firmly.

The words of the princess—spoken in the name of the emperor—represented the mighty power of the sacred country that backed Louisa.

Duke Valentia bowed in silence.

“—My wife has wronged Your Highness terribly.”

“But—!”

For her husband to be so easily convinced by a little girl’s remark, no wonder the duchess became indignant.

However, the duke merely glared at his outraged wife, implying her to keep quiet.

“As punishment, my wife will be sent to a monastery. So, please…”

Perhaps, the duke was implicitly telling her to keep it a secret.

Louisa’s father was of a higher rank than the Duke of Valentia. As such, she vaguely understood that if she were to inform her father, the duchy would get into a crisis

If the duchy was in trouble, then so would Gaius.

But that wasn’t what Louisa wanted.

Thus, Louisa nodded at the Duke of Valentia.

“I shan’t forgive anyone who threatens to sadden or torment my father. Your Excellency the Duke of Valentia, if you want my father to rejoice, don’t disappoint me.”

To the words of Louisa, the Duke of Valentia deeply bowed his head.

“I’ll do my best.”

Then, he proceeded to drag his furious wife out of the room.

As soon as the two became alone, Louisa’s strength left her. Her head spun, while her body was burning. She desperately wanted to slumber…

Then, as her petite body began to sway, Gaius caught her.

“…Gaius?”

He was crying.

Tearfully, he embraced Louisa.

“…Thank you, Louisa.”

As he squeezed those words, Louisa smiled.

…I don’t need your words of gratitude.

After all, Gaius had always been protecting her.

Which was why she’d like to protect him, too.

For he was her beloved husband—

“—Gaius.”

She woke up and found herself saying. For a moment, she couldn’t comprehend what she was seeing, and her heart was pounding.

A fireplace, and then a rug… She was inside one of the Catterberg Palace’s many rooms. It was the Holy Kingdom of Charule, while she was the 19-years-old Louisa Charlotte d’Albret.

She was no longer a six-years-old girl.

…I see, it was a dream. I was dreaming of the old days.

Louisa thought to herself as she sorted out her jumbled thoughts.

The event itself truly did occur in the past.

In Valentia, Gaius—who didn’t get along with his stepmother—and Louisa—a foreign princess and a hostage—didn’t have anywhere to belong.

After that incident, Duke Valentia sent his wife to the monastery as promised. Although the way they treated her improved, she was still treated as if she was nonexistent.

…Now that I think about it, Gaius and I were licking each other’s wounds.

It was a sense of camaraderie born from both covering for each other and having the same enemy.

Becoming used to relying on each other, they soon became infatuated with each other.

…Rather than a married couple, our relationship is difficult to explain.

As her self-deprecation triumphed, Louisa closed her eyes.

Apparently, she wasn’t married to Gaius—

—but that’s fine.

When she sat up, the warmth beneath her arm wriggled. Thus, she realized that once again, she had fallen asleep while leaning against Hoover.

“…I’m sorry, I must’ve been heavy.”

To her quick apology, Hoover snorted as if to say, “It’s nothing.”

Louisa smiled as she patted his head.

“…I had a dream. A very nostalgic dream. You were in that dream, as well.”

…Why was the supposedly fading memory so vivid in her dream?

Louisa closed her eyes, trying to grasp the remnants of the waning dream.

In that dream, she could also recall Gaius’ voice.

At the same time, she remembered her love for him, along with the determination to protect him.

But it’s nothing more than a dream…

She was merely dreaming of the past.

Since it was the past, it was already over.

She lived in the present.

Louisa had to face reality, and move forward.

In the fireplace, the letter had burnt to crisp, leaving nothing but black cinders.

“This should be fine, right?”

Louisa muttered to herself.

But instead of asking, she was merely clarifying.

This is fine.

She had incinerated the past.

With that, the ‘Louisa’ who was once Gaius’ wife had also gone without a trace.