Chapter 1

Due to the positive reception of the short story, I would like to post a serialized version!

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"I hereby carry out the execution of beheading on Asaria Jill Spencer."

Why did it come to this...?

I am being led up the steps to the execution, my arms shackled like a criminal—no, I am a criminal.

Perhaps out of mercy for being a duke's daughter, my execution is not to be a public spectacle but will be carried out only before the imperial royal family and the four great dukes.

There are a few people in front of me, among them is Louis Rino Antila, the crown prince who was my fiancé until a few years ago.

As a duke's daughter, I fulfilled my duty by becoming engaged to the crown prince and tried my best to serve him, but Crown Prince Louis cheated on me.

Now, standing next to Crown Prince Louis is Oline Ter Dian, a baron's daughter who has become a holy maiden.

She has beautiful silver hair and a lovely face, and is just a woman who is friendly and can use a bit of healing magic.

Despite being a crown prince, he cheated with a baron's daughter, and I tried to dissuade him, but to no avail.

Crown Prince Louis broke off the engagement and married Holy Maiden Oline.

I was mocked as the "discarded duke's daughter."

If that were all, I wouldn't have been sentenced to beheading...

I admit, I wasn't a very nice person to begin with.

So I took actions that made me unpopular with the servants and other young ladies.

Especially after the crown prince broke off the engagement, I became even more unruly.

Now, looking back, I think it was for the best that I broke off the engagement with such a crown prince.

I also harassed Holy Maiden Oline in various ways.

But all of it was childish and only lowered my reputation.

If I had handled things more skillfully, it wouldn't have come to this.

Born into one of the four great dukes supporting the empire, the Spencer Duke's family, I could wield fire magic.

After breaking off the engagement with the crown prince, I used my power to protect the southern fortress from monsters and contributed to the empire.

However, not long ago, Holy Maiden Oline came to the southern fortress to heal the injured.

Healing magic can only be used by holy maidens, so it was very helpful, but...

When I tried to defeat a monster, Holy Maiden Oline was somehow within the range of my magic.

I immediately tried to control the magic so it wouldn't hit Oline, but it grazed her leg.

This was reported to the royal family, and due to my previous behavior towards Oline, it was judged that I had tried to kill her intentionally.

Only my father continued to try to prove my innocence, but it was in vain.

Because I had harassed Oline after the crown prince broke off the engagement.

But the reason I am being executed is definitely... that woman, Oline, who influenced the crown prince.

"..."

Now, she is sitting next to Crown Prince Louis, laughing at me.

That woman deliberately entered the range of my magic.

She even came to my cell to tell me this.

"You're in the way, so I'm going to get the crown prince to help me have you executed. The crown prince also thought you were a nuisance as his ex-fiancée... hehe, I'm looking forward to seeing your severed head."

I can still remember her expression and voice from that time...!

I am led up to the execution platform, forced to kneel, and my head is pressed onto the block.

No, I absolutely don't want to.

I can't die like this, I want to take revenge on that woman, Oline, and Crown Prince Louis.

I'm only twenty, I still want to have fun, I want to fall in love with someone other than Crown Prince Louis.

But my burning desire is discarded like a piece of trash, and the blade mercilessly approaches my neck.

A moment of intense pain, making me want to scream.

Ah, it hurts... I don't want to die...

◇ ◇ ◇

"Miss Asaria?"

—Huh?

What, where is this... a room? And the person in front of me, is she a servant?

I was just on the execution platform, and my head was cut off.

I instinctively touch my neck, but it's still there...

"Miss Asaria? Are you okay?"

"Yes, yes... I'm fine."

This servant is definitely a maid from the Spencer Duke's household.

It seems I am in the middle of changing into a dress for a social event.

But I was just on the execution platform, and my head was cut off...

What's going on?

"Miss Asaria, is this dress okay? It's the latest fashion, and it was specially made for you."

"..."

As the maid speaks, I look in the mirror and see that I am indeed wearing a beautiful dress.

But the style and embroidery of this dress are from about two years ago, I think?

And my face and hairstyle seem a bit younger.

My bright red hair is a bit shorter, reaching the middle of my back.

I usually have a more beautiful than cute face, but it feels a bit younger now.

I'm supposed to be twenty, but from the look of my face, hairstyle, and the fashion, it seems like I'm eighteen, two years ago?

"Hey, what social event are we going to today?"

"Uh? It's the fiftieth anniversary party of the founding of the empire..."

The fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the empire... so it is two years ago.

What's really going on? Why two years ago...

Was everything until now a dream?

No, if it were a dream, this would be more realistic.

But it feels too real to be a dream.

I've gone back two years... I've regressed?

"Miss Asaria, are you going to be absent again?"

"Huh?"

"Ah, no, you haven't been attending social events recently due to poor health, so I thought you might be absent today as well!"

The maid says this with a slightly nervous attitude.

Now that I think about it, this was around the time I found out the crown prince was cheating with that woman and was particularly unruly.

I had become so despondent that I didn't find attending parties interesting, so I hadn't been going at all.

Hmm? Wait, if that's the case, then this party is...

Hehe, this is getting interesting.

"No, I'll go today. Thank you for preparing everything, the dress is beautiful."

"Yes, yes!"

"What's your name?"

"M-me? I'm Maimi!"

"Ah, Maimi. Thank you, I'm sure it will be a fun party thanks to you."

"It's an honor to be of help!"

Maimi, I don't remember seeing this maid before, is she new?

Actually, I think the maids assigned to me changed quite often.

Probably because many of them didn't want to work for me.

Well, that's fine. What's important now is the upcoming party.

Hehe, I'm looking forward to it.

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