#1. Regression, and Possession

Bang. With a loud noise, the door burst open, and knights in red uniforms rushed in. At the forefront of them stood the Empire’s First Prince, Lloyd Griffith.

“Your Highness!”

A maid, pale with fear, spread her arms wide as if to protect Karina. But she was easily pushed aside by Lloyd’s force. Then, another knight ran in and, without hesitation, stabbed the maid in the abdomen with his sword. As the blood-soaked sword withdrew from her body, she coughed up dark red blood and collapsed on the spot.

Karina tried to rush to the maid, but Lloyd blocked her. Swallowing the fury that felt like it was rising from within her, she turned her head and glared at him.

“Karina.”

Lloyd’s lips curled into a crooked smile as he called her name.

“If you had chosen me from the start, this wouldn’t have happened today.”

He spoke words that were a mix of regret and mockery, drawing his sword and pointing it at Karina’s neck.

“Karina, the consort of the Second Prince Aidan Griffith. The Emperor has decreed that you are to be executed for treason.”

The sword, pressed close, pricked Karina’s white skin. Along with a sharp pain, she felt blood trickle down her neck. Lloyd, who had been watching, stepped closer and grabbed her arm, pulling her toward him.

“It’s not too late. If you agree to become my lover even now, I might be able to spare your life.”

He whispered in her ear. The absurdity of his proposal didn’t even make her laugh. Even if they shared only half their blood, she was still the wife of his brother, Aidan. Yet here he was, pointing a sword at her and offering to spare her if she became his lover.

“Just kill me.”

Lloyd flinched at her calm and composed response. As he pulled back, his face became clearly visible. It was twisted with the humiliation of being rejected until the very end.

“Your arrogance has brought this upon you.”

Lloyd coldly spat out as he raised his sword.

Arrogance. She couldn’t deny that. Even though she knew the real power in the imperial family was the Empress, the Hewitt Duchy chose Aidan Griffith, the son of the former Empress who had died over a decade ago, instead of Lloyd, the Empress’s biological son, and sent Karina as his consort, firmly standing by his side.

The result was this situation.

If only Aidan had been a bit wiser, a bit more capable, would things have been different? If he hadn’t been so foolish and impotent, if he hadn’t fathered a child with another woman, maybe this wouldn’t have happened.

It was Hewitt Duchy’s misjudgment to overlook that Aidan, under the pressure of the Empress and Lloyd, was more timid and withdrawn than expected and also had a strong tendency towards infidelity.

“Aidan and the Duke and Duchess of Hewitt will accompany you in death, so you won’t be lonely on your way to the afterlife.”

Lloyd, with a sinister smile, swung his sword. Seeing the blade coming down towards her neck, Karina tightly closed her eyes. And then everything went dark.

*

“…, …Your Highness!”

Startled by a familiar voice, she came to her senses and saw a maid standing in front of her, looking at her with a face full of concern.

What… what is going on? I clearly saw her get stabbed to death in front of me…

Her gaze naturally drifted down to the maid’s abdomen. The dress, once soaked in red blood, was now clean and neat, just as it always was.

“Bernice?”

When she called her name, Bernice smiled softly and replied, “Yes.” Bernice was really alive.

“Ah…”

The shock of losing her, who had grown up with her since childhood and had come to the palace without hesitation when Karina became a consort, hadn’t faded yet. But now she was standing there, talking to her as if nothing had happened… Was she dreaming? Which part was the dream?

“Are you alright? You’re not hurt, are you?”

Bernice cautiously asked. Karina shook her head to indicate she was fine, but her mind was still foggy. It was too vivid to be a dream. The chilling sensation of the blade touching her neck was still fresh in her memory.

She unconsciously raised her hand to her neck and felt the smooth skin without any scars. How was she still alive? Why was Bernice standing in front of her as if nothing had happened? Did she not die from being stabbed?

Her head felt stiff. Many scenes came to mind, but for some reason, she couldn’t organize them.

“Miss, no, Your Highness. I’m still not used to the title, so I keep calling you Miss.”

Bernice awkwardly corrected herself. Karina flinched at the title ‘Miss.’ Would Bernice make such a mistake? Something was off.

“Your Highness has every reason to be upset. It’s really too much. To think that on the first night, Your Highness was left alone while he enjoyed a tryst with another woman and then got attacked… How humiliating. You can’t imagine how much people are gossiping behind your back.”

First night? Did she just say first night?

“Bernice, what day is it today?”

Bernice tilted her head, thinking it was a strange question.

“Have you forgotten today’s date? You were just married yesterday.”

Oh my god. Bernice’s answer felt like a heavy hammer blow to her head. She had married Aidan three years ago.

Three years ago… Three years ago?

“What nonsense…”

She muttered in disbelief and then stopped. On the table, she saw the tiara and veil used during the wedding. Looking around, she noticed the strange expressions on the faces of the attendants standing behind Bernice. They seemed to be wondering if something was wrong with her, if she was mentally unstable.

Is this real? Did I really go back three years, as Bernice said?

Her mind was in chaos. She was sure she had died by Lloyd’s sword, but why was she back three years ago? And right after marrying Aidan, no less. If she was going to go back in time, it would have been better if it was before the wedding. Then she wouldn’t have married that fool.

Three years ago, she believed she could somehow change him. She was convinced that with her and the Hewitt Duchy backing him, Aidan Griffith could win the fight for the throne. She didn’t realize that was arrogance.

Even though she had always covered for his mistakes and done his work for him, Aidan never changed. Despite never consummating their marriage in three years, he fathered a child with his lover, humiliating her. Eventually, he tried to assassinate the Emperor to have that child recognized as a member of the imperial family, leading to the execution of herself and the Hewitt Duchy.

She felt so empty and resentful for all the efforts she had made.

The more she reflected on the past three years, the more her neck ached where Lloyd had pointed his sword. The sensation of the blade cutting through her skin seemed to vividly come back to life.

She couldn’t take it anymore. She didn’t want to keep making excuses for Aidan and sacrificing herself, only to be killed because of a child born from his affair. She didn’t want to repeat that. She was sick of Aidan and the imperial family. Her patience, which she had endured with the mission to make him the Emperor, had run out.

If she had really gone back three years, then it was rather fortunate. She was going to get a divorce. Her father, the Duke of Hewitt, would be outraged if she annulled an already completed marriage, but it was better than being slaughtered together three years later.

“Where are you going?”

When she suddenly stood up, Bernice hurriedly followed her.

“To His Highness.”

“Your Highness would go to him first?”

Bernice was flustered. Even if Aidan was unable to move due to the attack, how would it look if the consort, who was abandoned on their first night, sought him out first? She advised Karina to maintain her dignity.

“It’s not about dignity right now.”

Three years ago, she had ignored Aidan’s affair to maintain her dignity. But now wasn’t the time to worry about dignity. She needed to get out of this quagmire as quickly as possible. Aidan might have brought his death upon himself, but she and the Hewitt Duchy couldn’t be dragged into it and die a meaningless death again.

She would divorce Aidan, cut ties with the wretched imperial family, and live a quiet life in the Hewitt Duchy’s territory. Aidan, who had found even their marriage burdensome, might welcome the idea of a divorce with open arms. Moreover, with the perfect excuse that he had cheated on her on their first night, even if he opposed it, she was determined to push through with the divorce.