Chapter 1

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The first thing I remembered was the feeling of having my hair cut before my execution. My mind felt clearer and refreshed, and I thought it was funny that I was feeling that way right before my death.

The wagon rattled incessantly as it rolled across the stone pavement. They were making a show out of marching me down the middle of the street.

Ignoring the cheering and insults of the crowd around me, I called out to the guard nearest to my cage.

“What hour is it now? If you’ll humor me, I’d like to at least know the time of my death.”

The guard eyed me suspiciously, but hesitantly replied, “It’s about to be 6 in the evening.”

“Alright then.”

I smiled and was about to say a word of thanks, when a rock hit me in the head.

As I grimaced and rubbed the spot where I was hit, I looked for the source of the projectile. The woman who threw the rock pointed at me and shouted.

“This witch! Even now she is trying to seduce the guard!”

The woman’s words riled up the surrounding crowd.

“As I thought, that woman is an evil witch!”

“The late Emperor was seduced by that woman!”

“Our country is in ruins because of that woman! The realm almost collapsed!”

“It was because of her extravagant spending that our taxes are so high! We had to fight a war because she misled the enemy king!”

“If only, if only that woman never appeared!”

Lies.

None of that has anything to do with me.

The taxes were increased in preparation for war. The war was triggered by competition with the enemy country over resources.

I wanted to scream such words out loud, but I was too busy trying to dodge the rocks and rubbish flying at me to open my mouth.

Looking at my trembling body, the guard coldly gave me a word of advice, “Please keep silent.”

The guard’s attitude was expected. There were no longer any people in the world who would take my side. There was no point in trying to explain myself.

Following his words, I said not a single word until we reached the square where the execution platform was located.

“We’ve arrived. Please get off.”

I was practically pulled off the wagon before the coachman could even finish his sentence.

Then, they shoved me to the guillotine and made me kneel before the hateful crowd.

“—The criminal, Former Queen Samerra Einsatz is judged guilty.”

The executioner read out the list of crimes for which I would be executed.

“After receiving the favor of the previous Emperor, His Majesty Horan, the criminal used her position to disturb the order of the empire. The criminal indulged in extravagance in the palace, incited war and conflict, and engaged in countless acts of debauchery while the empire and its people suffered. Under her influence, the former Emperor was deceived into executing loyal nobles who could not stand for her wicked ways, and in the end she even committed the ultimate sin of regicide, poisoning her husband the late Emperor who showered her with so much love and affection.”

I couldn’t be bothered to even entertain the thought of arguing against all the false charges laid against me.

No one would believe me even if I was telling the truth. Anyone who made even the slightest showing of taking my side would be consigned to the guillotine just the same.

When they showed me the heads of my friends and family lined up in the square, I could not even cry.

The only thing which occupied my mind in recent days was a sense of bewilderment and a single question.

Why?

Why did this happen?

Why me?!

“—As such, in accordance with her crimes, Samerra Einsatz is sentenced to death!”

They finally finished reading the long list of charges. The people erupted in jubilation at the closing words, and my neck was fixed to the guillotine.

The people stared at me with a curious mix of hatred and joy as I idly wondered how things could go so wrong.

Until my thirteenth year, I was just a normal village girl. An official who happened to come for inspection picked me to enter the emperor’s harem. There was no choice but to obey the official’s orders. In exchange for a large sum of money, I was taken away and brought to the imperial palace.

I was told many times by the people around me that I would never meet His Majesty the Emperor without any backing. I believed them, so I had resigned to peacefully passing my days away in the inner palace when His Majesty suddenly called for me. It must have been a strange sight to see an unrefined village girl standing amidst the daughters of noblemen. His Majesty seemed to be pleased enough with me that he remembered me, and went on to summon me many times.

At that time, I was often laughed at as “a country girl who just had slightly good looks.” But it was the truth. I was a little better looking than others, but I could not hope to match the other concubines in terms of education, artistry, or manners.

His Majesty repeatedly praised me as “beautiful”. However, I had never been praised for anything other than my looks. That was all His Majesty wanted from me. For this reason, I was blamed for all sorts of things by those seeking a political advantage.

By the time I noticed it, everything was already over. After being framed for the poisoning in falsified evidence and thrown in prison without a chance to explain myself, my family and anyone who took my side were killed. Wild rumors started spreading among the people, and no one dared to object to my execution. Thus, I will go down in history as the villainess who brought ruin to the country.

Oh, I see.

The moment that official stumbled upon me, my ending had already been decided.

“Haha.”

A village girl who had nothing but her beauty.

I knew nothing and had no connections, so of course it would end up like this.

It was so pathetic that I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Hahaha!”

The cheers of the crowd grew louder. It was a sign that my head would soon be lined in the square with those of my family.

I wonder if it is normal to feel so uplifted when faced with one’s death. I looked up hazily at the blue sky and prayed to the heavens.

O gods up in heaven. If you are watching this, if you can find within your divine spirits any trifling amount of pity for me.

If there is another chance, please make it so I never have to be involved with people in power ever again.

Grasping onto such a hope, tears fell forth.

The memories stopped there.

And that was how my previous life ended.

***

The gods are cruel.

In my previous life, I died because I was loved by a person with power. In this life, I am now someone who is counted among the ranks of powerful people.

My name is now Azalea El Savedge. I was born as the daughter of a Duke of the Cabos kingdom.

And for some reason, I became the fiancée of the Crown Prince of this kingdom, His Highness Prince Lotus.

His Highness Lotus was someone like the sun.

A clean-cut face, fiery red eyes and hair. Not only was his body in peak physical condition, but he possessed a sharp mind as well. He excelled in every field of study: politics and economics were a given, but also the mysterious art of magic, which did not exist in my previous life. His martial capabilities are excellent, enough to make the Knight Commander readily admit that he is no match for His Highness.

That is to say, Prince Lotus was a genius.

There was no other word to describe His Highness. He was that kind of amazing and wonderful existence.

Yes, he is amazing.

His Highness was capable of things far beyond the ken of a mortal such as myself. Just as it was a matter of course that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, he could do the most outrageous things with impunity.

If I were to list his faults, I would offer only this as his one shortcoming.

His Highness Lotus was an eccentric person.

He could not be understood with a passing superficial judgment.

If one dared underestimate him, a painful reprisal awaited.

To give some examples of his handiwork…

Like the Sir Hero who was currently sobbing at the feet of Their Majesties. Or the Holy Maiden who was passed out and blowing snot bubbles.

“Hm? Why is the Hero crying? Azalea, do you know anything?”

His Highness tilted his head in earnest curiosity. I suddenly noticed that he was covered in blood for some reason.

Also, in his right hand was the Holy Sword… but there was a chunk of stone attached to the tip. In his left hand was a grotesque object that I couldn’t identify.

I clasped my fan and set about explaining things to His Highness.

“Before that. Your Highness, why are you holding the Holy Sword— that has now become a hammer, and what did you do with it?”

“Oh, this? Embarrassingly, I couldn’t pull it out of its pedestal for some reason. So, when I took it to practice with it, I had to take the mounting with it. It was good strength training!”

“I see. By the way, Your Highness, what is that bloody mess in your left hand?”

“This is the head of the Demon King! I just defeated him! He was a good sparring partner.”

All present were left speechless by His Highness, who simply nodded his head in satisfaction. Their Majesties glanced awkwardly at each other. A circle of light seemed to appear behind the attendants, as if they had achieved enlightenment. The Hero who had provoked His Highness the other day kowtowed over and over again in apology. The Holy Maiden still has yet to awake. And then, with a radiant smile on his face, His Highness Lotus puffed out his chest and said, “I’m awesome, am I not?”

In the chaos of the audience room, as I was at a loss as to what to say and how to say it, His Highness dropped another bomb on me.

“What, this is natural for me since I will have to carry the burden of ruling the country in the future. So I did it. Azalea, you can defeat the Demon King too if you train for it. Isn’t that right, Azalea?”

His Highness’ remark blew away my remaining reason.

“Is the Demon King supposed to be defeated like it was no different from a practice match?”

Apart from His Highness, all those present nodded fervently at my cry.

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