Chapter 7

"Even our king is the same. Do you think he refused your brother's request for assistance and made you the queen for no reason?"

The knight's chest was adorned with the medal of the empire located in the eastern continent.

"Our country no longer sees any value in this current state of the nation."

"Even the princess with the mystical blood has been killed, hasn't she? If she had been offered, perhaps they would have shown some leniency."

And the swordsmen all pointed their swords at her uncle.

(—Now I finally understand. When my father was overthrown by my uncle, he secretly lent a hand to help the military revolution succeed.)

This is the future scene that Alicia wanted to see.

(Even though it was clear that the country's power was declining, the reason why my uncle unnaturally respected other countries and neglected his own people.)

The uniforms, armbands, and decorations worn by the swordsmen. Alicia strongly burned all this information into her mind.

(…When the country finally weakens to the point of collapse, I believed they would come out to feast on my uncle's bones.)

The king here is the reason for Alicia's father's defeat.

(If saving the people is the responsibility of a princess, then protecting the pride of one's own country is also something a princess must do.)

Despite forming an alliance with my father, they trampled on all requests for assistance and betrayed him by lending their strength to my uncle.

(Now I know clearly who the enemy of my country is.)

This is the purpose of seeing the future. Finally, it has become clear which of the friendly countries that have been allies since before my father's time betrayed him.

Her uncle, trembling, tried to crawl away on the floor.

"Leuria...!! What has happened to the king and the crown prince Felix!? How can they do nothing when the homeland of the crown princess is in crisis! Tina, go help my father..."

"Didn't you know? Your daughter is practically under house arrest in that country. She has been exiled due to the anger of her husband, Prince Felix, and no one pays attention to her cries."

"H...!"

One of the swordsmen stepped forward and swung his sword at her uncle.

(—A pure and gentle princess who never hurts anyone cannot protect this fragile country.)

The moment the bright red blood splattered, it stained Alicia's entire vision.

(If necessary, I must shed blood to protect my people—...)

***

And now, before Alicia, who has just arrived at the capital after passing through the forest, stands a young man.

"Nice to meet you. Mr. Traitor."

"---Huh?"

As her mother had taught her, after seeing that future, Alicia 'returned' just before her death, which was caused by stabbing her own heart.

Surprisingly, the fatal wound was sealed. The blood that had flowed out stained her wedding dress, but Alicia was still alive.

After taking the sword from the bandit and knocking him unconscious, she hurried through the forest to reach the capital, hiding the blood-soaked dress with cloth she found in the forest.

Upon arriving at the castle, she proved her identity with the letter she had and her hair color, but of course, the knights and people of the castle were suspicious. However, she forcefully made her way to the front of the cathedral where the wedding ceremony was to be held, and then discarded the cloth that had hidden her dress.

Entering as a bride covered in blood could be considered a form of giving up.

However, among the guests who turned pale and fled, he alone did not change his expression.

Prince Felix of Leuria was even more beautiful than she had imagined from the rumors.

His hair was closer to ash than jet black, and his eyes were a pale, colorless gray.

His clearly defined, slightly elongated double eyelids and the single mole near his cool eyes were striking. His long eyelashes cast shadows on his cheeks, and his nose was straight.

The cold impression he gave was not just due to his perfectly chiseled features.

(He doesn't even check if I have a weapon. He is confident that he can handle anything at any time.)

The aura of killing intent that seeped from him and his thin, mocking smile instinctively warned her that this man, though beautiful, was dangerous.

Felix grabbed Alicia's wrist and pulled her towards him. He grabbed her chin with his other hand, tilting her head up as if to kiss her.

Even so, she noticed that the way he wiped the blood from her cheek with his thumb was somehow gentle.

"Alicia May Winchester. ...You are my bride, are you not?"

"From today on, I am 'Alicia May Rodenvalt.' Prince Felix."

To assert whose wife she would become, she replaced her surname with Felix's.

Before leaving her country, Alicia had secretly sent a letter to Felix.

(That I was being targeted and might be killed in an accident after crossing the border. Even though this was supposed to be known in advance, there was no sign of help.)

Alicia had hoped that after confirming the future safely, someone would come to meet her.

(This man's betrayal of my uncle has not yet happened. ...But to me, not coming to help when I pleaded for my bride to be saved is a betrayal in itself.)

She wanted to stick out her tongue at him in her heart, but as a lady, she couldn't do that.

Instead, while gently intertwining her fingers with Felix's, she asked him.

"…Will you lend me a hand in my counterattack?"

"……"

The way he narrowed his eyes and smiled with interest here suggests that Felix is quite an odd person.