Chapter 8

While trying to return to the party venue with Ralph, they were stopped by the knights of the ducal family.

"You cannot proceed any further."

Ralph immediately stepped forward and asked, "What do you mean by that?" The knight, after glancing at Dia, reluctantly told Ralph:

"The captain said that because the princes have arrived, under no circumstances should Lady Claudia be allowed into the venue."

"Ah, I see."

Ralph nodded in exasperation.

—If one of the princes were to take a fancy to Lady Claudia, it would be a problem. Even the ducal family can't refuse a marriage proposal from the royal family. Oh, but I just ran into Prince Arnold. Come to think of it, the captain told me not to let any men get close to Lady Claudia.

For a moment, Ralph looked at Dia.

—Well, it wasn't that men approached her, but that Lady Claudia initiated the conversation, so it's a close call.

Having convinced himself, Ralph asked, "Lady Claudia, what would you like to do?"

(Hmm, if I make a fuss here, I might be locked up by my brother again... I did manage to meet Arnold and the red-haired boy today, so maybe it's best to follow the rules.)

Dia thought about asking someone else about Arnold later. When Dia said, "I understand," the knights visibly sighed in relief, perhaps worried about what she might have demanded.

"Please tell my brother that I'm tired and will be returning to my room."

Smiling at the knights, Dia heard a few of them think, "So cute." Dia then turned to Ralph.

"Thank you for today."

"You're welcome."

When Dia said, "Please join me again sometime," Ralph replied with a gentle smile, "Of course, I'd be delighted." After parting ways with the knights, Ralph escorted Dia to her room and bowed, saying, "I'll take my leave now," before departing.

(He's a good person. If something happens again, I'll ask him to be my guard.)

As soon as she entered her room, a wave of fatigue hit her.

(Ah, I'm so tired.)

The maids seemed to be busy with the party arrangements, and Eida, her attendant, was nowhere to be seen, so Dia kicked off her shoes.

(Huh?)

Dia noticed black bruises on both of her ankles, like they had been gripped tightly. She recalled the hoarse voice and the strange hand and paled.

(Come to think of it, I forgot about the panty incident, but what was that all about?)

Gingerly touching the bruises on her ankles, images flooded her mind. It was a wedding ceremony in a temple she had seen before.

(Is this the wedding of 16-year-old Dia...?)

The bride, walking up the stairs, stumbled and fell all the way down. The area was filled with screams and the sound of impact.

"Di-a-a-a!"

A prince in pure white attire shouted. He was a handsome prince with golden hair and blue eyes. Running down the stairs, the prince lifted the fallen bride and cried out at the sight of the uncontrollable bleeding.

At that moment, the heads of the people around the prince were cut off as if by a sharp blade. The wedding guests screamed and fled in terror.

The prince, standing up, let out a rough, animal-like breath.

"I will kill."

The heads of the fleeing people were cut off by an invisible force, flying like toys.

"I will kill everyone here who couldn't protect Dia."

The prince's golden hair turned red like blood, and his gentle blue eyes turned yellow with madness. Within minutes, the area was silent. The ground was stained red, and the only one still breathing was the red-haired prince in a blood-soaked white outfit.

"Hey."

When the prince called, a creature with a wolf-like face and a human body, with sharp claws on its hands, appeared from the prince's shadow.

"Bring Dia back to life."

—It's impossible. I'll give you anything else you want.

"Nothing but Dia... I want nothing else."

Tears streamed down the blood-soaked prince's eyes.

"Is there anything the gods cannot do!?"

The strange deity smiled thinly.

—It's impossible to bring the dead back to life with this amount of blood. Offer me more blood.

"I'll offer you as much as you want. So, bring Dia back to life!"

The images in Dia's mind abruptly stopped. She couldn't stop shaking.

(Is this something that really happened in the past...? If so, then the past Arnold changed his appearance with divine protection because I said I liked a prince who is loved by everyone...)

He might have thought that by doing so, the past Dia would love him.

(Wait, then, could it be that Arnold repeatedly waged war and became a cruel, blood-soaked king to bring me back to life...?)

Tears overflowed from Dia's eyes.

(Why did it come to this...?)

She should have talked more with Arnold. An overwhelming sense of regret washed over her.

(But maybe it's not too late now?)

Time had rewound, and she had become friends with Arnold. Dia hadn't said she liked a prince who is loved by everyone. However, Arnold was already connected to the strange deity. She had to find a way to separate them.

(That's strange... I just wanted to get back at Arnold.)

Now, the only thing Dia could think about was, "How can I save my first friend?"